GS Distress II: Revelations
by Mirai Gensao
Summary: After five years, everyone is getting back to normal life without Ash. When Prof. Oak goes missing in Johto, it's up to the rest of the gang to find him. What they discover along the way will change their lives yet again.
1. The Past Meets the Present

Alright, folks, here is the first chapter in the second story about Ash and company in my series. This time around I am actually going to be writing a story in chapter format. This will be a first for me in the history of my time here on this site. I have already planned out half of the story so hopefully it will be easier to stay on track. Many things are revealed in the coming chapters so I hope it will be a good read since I am rewriting this from the beginning and not simply editing it. Happy reading.

It is recommended that _GS Distress_ is read first. Otherwise, some things will be confusing.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Pokémon. All I do own here are any original characters and plotlines. Praise be to Nintendo and everyone who has a had a hand in this fad that brought a 24 year old college senior back into the fold (I'm halfway through Soul Silver!).

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* * *

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**GS Distress II: Revelations**

_Humming to himself, the Pokémon professor known for his work on Pokémon-human relationships checks his tofu and noodles, hoping his dinner is almost done. He has been looking forward to the small meal all day, especially since he also plans on going over his latest data on the changing relations between trainer and Pokémon after each evolutionary stage. It will be the closest thing to a break he has had in the last few days. Honestly, the man has not had much of a chance to relax and be in a good mood since one of his students went missing eleven months ago. He spent the first month blaming himself and neglecting his research to look for any clues, but even the police lost hope. A thirty-eight year old man whose expertise lies in Pokémon was sadly of little help in the search. By now, the police have moved onto other things, and he has tried to convince himself that wherever his missing pupil is, she's fine. She wouldn't want him to worry so much. This has only been mildly successful._

_ Earlier today, something brightened him up for the first time in months. He received news from his son and daughter-in-law that he is going to be a grandfather. Further adding to the positive side of things, they told him over video phone that they are moving back to Pallet Town. His son's job took them to Vermillion last year, where they married only six months ago. (Much to the disdain of some of the more old-fashioned people in town, the young couple lived together before marriage, even though Samuel always had a feeling they would end up together since they were children and didn't mind the situation.) The company has since restructured and transferred him to the Viridian branch, which is a short commute from Pallet. The two discussed it, and with the upcoming addition, not to mention the depression and worry the older man was suffering over his missing student, they decided to come back home. _

_ Samuel lifts a piece of tofu from the pot and checks its firmness. Much to his pleasure, his dinner is ready. He turns the fire off and reaches into a cabinet for a bowl, but a curious ring of his doorbell interrupts him from dishing up. He may just be settling down to eat dinner, but it is almost ten at night so he wonders who would be bothering him at this hour. Light rain has been falling all day, but it got heavy about half an hour ago, which makes it even more strange. Concern replaces the curiosity when he opens the wooden door. Standing there looking apologetic, cold, and wet is his missing student. The shock must be present on his face as the first thing she says is an apology since it is so late._

"_Delia," he mumbles. "Come in out of this rain." Without a word, she complies with his order, and he shuts the door to the cold world, not at all prepared for the explanation he is about to receive._

...

"Professor Oak, I have those results you asked Professor Ivy to email over." Samuel snaps out of his daydreaming and looks at his assistant Tracey. Sure enough, the young man has a paper in his hand and a confused expression on his face. Apparently he appears odd to the younger one. "Are you okay, Professor?"

"Sorry about that, Tracey. I was just thinking about something else." Tracey's face darkens a bit.

"Do you mean Ash's birthday?" He doesn't answer, but they both know he hit the nail on the head. It has been almost five and a half years since Ash went missing, and his eighteenth birthday is coming up very soon. The older researcher usually gets together with the boy's mother to celebrate and hold onto the hope that he will still return. Tracey always joins them, and if Gary is in town, he comes as well. "Never mind. Why don't we go over this report before lunch?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea. I'm curious to see the data she has collected on the differences between Butterfree from the Orange Islands and Butterfree from the Sevii Islands. You know, her assistants have been studying at the Sevii Islands for the past several months now, and this will be the first paper they try to publish together."

"Yeah, Hope's been keeping me up to date almost every day."

"She sure does call you a lot. I think she may a crush on you." The professor starts to walk away, and Tracey flails a little as he follow.

"Me? Why would she have a crush on me?"

"You still have a lot to learn, my boy."

* * *

While the professor and his assistant get to work before lunch, another young man sleeps restlessly on a bed in a dark room. Some may see it as odd that someone so young would be napping at such an early hour, but those people do not understand the concept of working all night. He has had nothing but night assignments for the past week and has yet to adjust to the abnormal schedule. Bad dreams do not help the process, and every night for the last six days he has had dreams that bother him but refuse to be recalled once he is awake.

_The young man finds himself standing in the green box at a Pokémon League competition. The first Pokémon he chooses is a Bulbasaur, who happily listens to every command. Soon enough the opponent is knocked out. Next a Scyther appears on the field. The Scyther uses what seems like a quick attack, but Bulbasaur wins. Next a Bellsprout happens upon the field. This grass type's moves are something he has never seen before, and soon enough Bulbasaur is thrown into the green box, knocking him out for the time. Next he sends out Pikachu, who loses more quickly than Bulbasaur. As a last resort, the trainer sends out a Muk. Everyone in the audience seems shocked at his choice. The Bellsprout tries hurling leaves, but Muk's elastic-like body absorbs the energy, causing the leaves to be ineffective. The youth hears himself order a body slam attack, and the poor grass-type is soon covered in the sludge that is Muk They remain still for a few seconds, and when Muk finally moves, Bellsprout remains motionless on the grass. The trainer in the green box, him, is named the winner, and he then finds himself celebrating with his Pikachu, a Pokémon the one dreaming has never owned. The crowd cheers around him._

Awakening suddenly, the youth sits up in bed. That dream was all too real in his mind. Traces of what was said remain in his memory, which help him identify without a doubt that this was a Pokémon League match. Although he has been through Johto and Hoenn, he has never participated in the Indigo League, which makes him wonder all the more why he would dream of a match that took place there, especially from the first person point-of-view. Despite growing up in Kanto, he has never participated in the Indigo League or even visited Indigo Plateau. His father has always encouraged him to reach beyond what is close to home and to search for what is beyond the stars which translated into raveling the various other regions. But that Pikachu gets to him the same way that red-haired girl in the stands gets to him.

He puts his head in his hands and tries to focus on things he knows are real. A young woman with brown hair then enters his mind. He is allowed practically no contact with anyone outside of the organization, and even though there are plenty of grunts, he really only has one friend. She was inducted into the team the same time he was adopted by his father, the group's leader. She was young at the time, only being thirteen, but his father was looking to start recruiting members at a younger age. He felt they could be molded and turn out to be better agents than their older counterparts. At the time he was about done with a certain trio who failed him constantly. The young man has never met them, but he did see their profiles by accident on his father's desk. They changed goals around that time and have been successful agents in the last five years since they returned from Hoenn.

Shaking his head, he realizes he will not be going back to sleep any time in the near future. Besides, it is almost lunchtime, and his favorite dish is on the menu today. The perks about living on base mean he has access to food whenever he wants as the "company" cafeteria would never refuse to feed the boss's son. Being the sole (albeit adopted) child of an organized crime syndicate's leader affords him some perks.

He plants his feet on the floor and stands up to stretch and toss a shirt on. He chooses a black tee left on his desk chair. After getting in so early, he left his black slacks on. Aside from shoes, the only thing he needs before leaving his room is to comb down his unruly hair. For a while when he was younger he just had it cut very short, but his father decided he would look better with it longer and slicked back. Due to the spikiness of it, he uses lots of Giovanni's favorite, very expensive hair gel for it is the only thing that works. For now, he decides not to bother with it since he'll just be getting some grub. He might run into Abby, too. She did not have the same assignment as him last night and is on normal time. He knows her well enough to guess that she most likely is hungry right about now and will have the same idea as him.

On the way out of his door, after putting on some shoes, he pauses. Then he decides against grabbing his cell phone. It is unlikely he will need it. The only reason he would is if his father wanted to get a hold of him quickly, but he has not left the base today. At least, those were his plans as of yesterday afternoon. He also makes a mental note to ask about the Indigo League. He and Abby were called back from Hoenn just after her made it to the top four in the Ever Grande Conference. Before that, they traveled through Johto and performed various missions along the way. Perhaps he can convince his father to let him travel around his home region. It would be good practice, after all.

* * *

TBC...


	2. A Day in the Life

Here is chapter two to my newest project. This one took about three days to write. I really should be doing my midterm essays, but they aren't due for a week. I also work better under pressure anyway. (At least, that's what I tell myself.) Enjoy.

* * *

"Staryu, finish it off with a water gun!" In the center of a sizable pool sitting on some floating platforms, a yellow star Pokémon fires a stream of water as commanded. The target, a Mankey, has little room to counter as it does not yet know how to swim (its trainer is relatively new having just started his journey three weeks ago). The boy with brown hair and shorts clenches his fists as he watches a strong stream of water drench his Pokémon friend. The monkey-like creature flounders and falls into the water, prompting its trainer to recall him in panic. Without another word, he runs away from the pool and towards the exit, likely heading to the Pokémon Center. He has two other Pokémon to heal, each one taken out by Staryu.

The gym leader, a young woman with hair as fiery as her temper, sighs and holds out a Pokéball.

"Great job, Staryu. Now return." The normal red beam appears, and Staryu disappears back into its ball. Pikachu cheers on his friend from the side of the pool and rushes over to greet her. She leans down to scratch his ears with a small smile that is somewhat forced. That boy was the fourth one today to suffer an easy victory on her part, and she knows the rest of her team would benefit from the center she has sent four kids to in less than three hours. The sad part (for them) is she didn't even have to bring out her most powerful Pokémon, the same type that frightened her as a child. Gyarados is this gym's pride and joy, which has given Cerulean quite the reputation for being one of the most challenging in Kanto. It took the Sensational Sisters giving up control to their 'runt' of a sister, but Misty has managed to make a name for herself and her hometown in the last four years.

It has now been five and a half years since Ash went missing along with Liz and Mew. The gang searched furiously for weeks. Tracey went to the Orange Islands, Brock went into Johto, and Gary searched Hoenn. As for Misty, she looked all over Kanto for longer than the other three. There was a feeling that he was still somewhere in his home region that she could not explain. Even Ritchie looked when he went to Unova, the region farthest away. (He was going out to visit relatives on his father's side as well as compete in the league there.) The regional professors all got involved, including Professor Hastings in the regions of Almia, Fiorre, and Oblivia. Prima, who was back in her hometown on the Sevii Islands, also helped search for the young man she met on Mandarin Island only a few months prior.

No matter how hard and how much they all searched, though, no trace was found of any of them. The rangers, looking out thanks to Krane's request, moved on to normal ranger duties. Gary, Brock, and Tracey came back. Ritchie started focusing on traveling through the new region. Prima took back her Elite Four duties. Even Misty, who was (in her opinion) more adamant in searching, was called home due to a crisis at the gym. Jessie, James, and Meowth gave up on Pikachu and went back to headquarters, where they were reassigned to Hoenn while their rivals Butch and Cassidy were sent to Johto. Professor Oak used any connections he had, and even Delia did the unthinkable. Giovanni turned her away on three separate occasions before he finally relented and met with the woman from his past. As before, he refused any resources and proclaimed that he did not care about the child she kept hidden from him. The fourth time she left the Viridian Gym was the last time she did so, and since then, she has not seen him again.

Everyone held onto the hope that Ash would come back or turn up somewhere, but time went on. Pikachu went to live with Misty while the rest of his Pokémon stayed with Professor Oak at his lab. Brock went home to Pewter City, where he discovered his mother Lola had returned and changed the gym into a water type. After some fighting and strategizing, Brock got the gym back to normal. Flint and Lola then set off on a second honeymoon, and Brock mentored his brother Forrest, who was set to take over the gym next, at least in Flint's absence. Upon the return of his parents, Brock set out for Johto to further his goal of becoming a breeder, knowing Ash would want him to keep going. There he met up with Suzy again and decided to travel with her and her friend Zane. Those three traveled for a while before Brock returned to Pewter after finding out he had a knack for healing Pokémon and not just raising them. Apparently he was in luck as the Nurse Joy of Pewter was the highest rated in her class at the time of graduation and took on Brock as a student since he wanted to see if that career path was more for him. The last time he and Misty checked in, he was loving it.

Tracey, as everyone suspected, stayed with Professor Oak and became his lab assistant. He and Gary had the chance to get close after the latter returned from a loss in the Silver Conference. It was partially Tracey that influenced him to become a researcher, and Gary changed his goals and began doing work at the lab before heading out to Hoenn. During this same time, Tracey, who had been spending plenty of time in Cerulean City, began to casually see Misty's oldest sister Daisy. They were on again-off again for a while before deciding to permanently be off. Unfortunately, this was around the same time that Gary stayed at the gym while he investigated the sudden decline in water Pokémon off of Cerulean Cape. It resulted in the inevitable clash of the egos that led to some awkward situations for the pair. When he left, it was on odd terms, and he rarely called from Sinnoh. Actually, though, this wasn't that strange as he also rarely called his grandfather since he was usually wrapped up in his research.

After this incident, Misty focused more intensely on her training, reminding herself that that was the reason she stuck around and became the gym leader. Of course, this only started after they faced that crisis and passed the league inspection. For a year after she came home, she trained nonstop to both try to forget Ash and to pursue her goal. She knew Ash wouldn't want her or any of his friends to mourn and be zombies over him, and so she took her anger and sadness out by training hard. After the first year, her sisters won a cruise around the world, leaving the gym to her. Once they came back, Lily and Violet continued to focus on their acting careers while Daisy took an odd interest in running things. Under Misty's tutelage, she became a decent trainer in her own right. She stopped handing out badges and watched the gym when Misty would visit Pallet Town to spend time with Tracey, Professor Oak, and Delia. Misty could actually say she was proud of Daisy.

It was only six months ago that Tracey and Daisy broke up and Gary left for Sinnoh, and she has been feeling down. Aside from that, the anniversary of the day she and Togepi, who became a Togetic, parted ways just passed. It isn't any of those things alone making her in a perpetually sad (and often bad) mood. The challengers lately have been pathetic in her opinion. Every time she has one, she looks for that spark that Ash had, that stubbornness and hope and belief in his or her Pokémon. So far, no one has lived up to that memory. Worse yet, they haven't even been good practice. The last time someone earned a badge from her or Daisy was two weeks ago. The next batch of new trainers left Pallet this past week so hopefully when they finally reach here, they will actually be some competition and make her and her Pokémon sweat. For now, though, she decides to just heal her team and grab some lunch. If nothing else, that last battle did work up an appetite.

"How about some lunch, Pikachu?" she asks.

"Pika!" This time an actual smile appears on her face, and they head out for a break.

* * *

The young man with nightmare trouble looks out over the cafeteria, trying to see if he can spot his friend. The rectangle tables are filled with grunts. Over in the corner at the special table, the only round one here, he spies some of the admins although he could hear Petrel before even entering the room. Luckily no one takes much notice of him as he stands there scanning the crowd. This is the only thing he hates about having a meal during normal hours. Most of the people who work for his father treat him with kid gloves, even though he is about to turn eighteen.

When it becomes apparent that the one he is looking for isn't here, he resigns himself to standing in line and getting some grub. Because of his status, he is pushed to the front, making him remember the perks of having a meal during normal hours. Unlike other such places of eating provided by other companies, the food here is the best around. Everyday there are two choices for each meal, and both are usually hard to pick between. It may not seem like it to an outsider, but Giovanni makes sure to take care of his employees, unlike his mother before him. If they are happy, they are productive, which means he gets more of what he wants. Of course, they also have to be somewhat competent, unlike a certain trio was until they finally stopped trying for Pikachu.

"Max!" He hears his name and turns around to see the one he was looking for. "There you are. I was wondering when you'd make it down here." The young woman in a typical grunt uniform pushes past everyone with ease as they all recognize her as the friend of the boss's kid. He cannot help but smile as she joins him. He was beginning to feel lonely. She smiles up at him, her brown eyes shining with the happiness her smile betrays. "I thought you'd still be sleeping after last night, but I'm glad I caught you."

"Well, you know me. If it's time for food, I'm there."

"But you guys didn't back until five this morning."

"Alright, so I couldn't sleep. Big deal." He turns to the one serving lunch and asks for the chili cheese pizza, of which he gets an extra slice. Surprised at him, she asks for the same and quickly follows him to sit down in the corner. He, like the admins, gets his own table near the drink machines so he never has to go far to get refills on his favorite orange soda. He skips getting any right now and drops his plate on the square table before sitting down in a huff. She sits with more care than he and watches as he begins to demolish his food. He may be the son of the Rocket Boss, but his table manners lack immensely. She gave up on scolding him a long time ago.

"Are you mad we had to come back from Hoenn so soon to finalize your training?"

"Why would I care? I already lost that conference." He takes another large bite.

"You didn't lose. You came in the top four, which is better than in Johto."

"I still didn't win." She holds herself from commenting on his mouth being full.

"You can't expect to win against trainers that have had way more experience than you. You only started your training three years ago, and you've only been through two regions out of the main five."

"I should've started way before that, but my dad told me I wasn't ready. He won't even let me go through Kanto."

"When was the last time you asked?" He drops the crust and picks up his second slice.

"Before Hoenn."

"That was more than a year ago. Maybe you should try asking him again. You are more experienced. You were great at the Ever Grande Conference." He agrees silently and continues to focus on his food. She decides to give up for now and eat her food, too, before it gets cold. Her friend, if nothing else, is extremely hardheaded sometimes.

* * *

After dropping off her Pokémon, Misty decides to stop in at her and Pikachu's favorite place to grab a bite to eat. Normally she would be friendly with the people there and talk about something or other, but this time she decides to sit alone at the booth in the corner. A TV plays the news, and other people's chatter fills the restaurant. Pikachu begins cuddling the ketchup bottle, anxious for when Misty finally takes the bottle cap off for him. Soon, though, he notices his friend is down about something, especially when she orders her usual without another word to her favorite server here.

"Pikachu-pi?" His voice startles her out of her thoughts, and she looks at him holding the bottle.

"Oh, sorry, Pikachu." She takes it from him and open it up. Usually he'll start to chug it down (forcing Misty to buy the bottle as she has yet to learn to bring one for him). This time, though, he stares at her. "What's wrong? Did you want something else?"

"Pika." He shakes his head.

"Then what is it?" Being as dense as her old traveling companion, she doesn't realize that Pikachu is merely concerned for her.

"This just in!" The voice on the TV suddenly gets louder, and when she looks to see why, the man tending to the counter has the remote in his hand. "Strange weather patterns have been observed in the Johto region, seeming to be centered around Mount Quena. Nearby Ecruteak City has experienced flooding that is unusual for the area this time of year. Experts are puzzled as to why this happening. Let's go to Ollie Williams who is on the scene…" The volume gets lower again, but Misty still watches the screen.

"That's weird…"

* * *

"Boss, we have news." A man in an orange suit looks up from his desk in his usual office. The grunt before him stands stiff, hands at his side and eyes somewhat hidden under his hat. "We've located the Pokémon we've been searching for. It's been seen multiple times near Mount Quena in the Johto region." Giovanni smirks.

"I guess I'll be taking a little trip then." Persian meows and rubs his master's leg.

* * *

TBC...

Technical Note: Mt. Quena, which appeared in _Mewtwo Returns_, seems to be near Ecruteak since the special aired in between episodes where the gang was traveling there next. I think it was two more episodes before Ash challenged Morty. (Thank goodness for Bulbapedia.)

Also, Ollie Williams=not mine. I borrowed him from _Family Guy_. Best weatherman ever.

Finally, some events that happened in the anime I incorporate here. I feel they still could have happened, even if it was at different times than the original.

Thanks for reading.


	3. Reassembling the Troops

_In Pewter City..._

The cries of a young Squirtle echo through the Pokémon Center, its wails the result of a poisoning from an angry Beedril. The girl whom the creature belongs to waits nervously in the lobby, pacing back and fourth and wishing she had had bought more antidotes in Viridian. She stares down as she walks, her face hidden under her white hat. The scratches she received earlier in escaping the swarm of angry Beedril have stopped stinging, but a distracting thought still reminds her to bring pants for places like the forest rather than her favorite lavender skirt. Then she gets mad at herself and thinks once again about her injured Pokémon. Squirtle was her starter, and they have already been through so much despite having just started a week ago.

The cries suddenly stop, and she snaps her head to look. Nurse Joy soon comes through the doors, prompting the girl to run to over.

"How's Squirtle? Is he going to be okay?"

"Squirtle will be fine," she assures her. She breathes a big sigh and relaxes. "You can see him now if you'd like." She nods vigorously and follows the nurse.

In the recovery area, she right away spots her friend being treated by a young man in a white coat with spiky brown hair. Since he is the one who appears to have healed her Squirtle, he automatically has her respect. At the same time, her enthusiasm overtakes her as she rushes over.

"Squirtle, I'm so glad you're okay!"

"Squirt," it says in reply. She can tell how tired it still is and addresses the man next.

"Thank you so much." The man looks at her (or at least, she thinks he does since his eyes aren't exactly wide open).

"I was happy to help," he says. "But next time, you should make sure to have plenty of antidotes on hand. Pewter City wasn't exactly a short walk from Viridian Forest." She looks down in shame.

"I know. I'm so sorry."

"Hey now, don't feel so bad. Everyone has to learn these things. You came from Pallet Town, right?" She nods. "That means you just started. It's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them."

"Oh, I learned. I'll always make sure to have enough supplies. I wanted to start learning about berries, too."

"That sounds like a good idea." He reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small booklet. "Take this. It's the rough draft of something I've been working on. It has a lot of information on berries and Pokémon."

"But I don't want to take your only copy."

"It's okay. I didn't like the layout. Besides, I've memorized what it says so it won't be hard to write another one. The information should be really helpful for you." She takes it from Brock and stares at it, being amazed that he has memorized so much. "Why don't you go get something to eat or call home while you wait for Squritle to recover?" She agrees and puts the booklet in her bag. With another, quieter thank you, she leaves the recovery area for the time.

By now Squirtle has fallen asleep. Since it has already received treatment for poisoning and for his injuries, all that is left to do is sleep for a bit.

"That was great, Brock," Nurse Joy says. He sticks his hands in his pockets and looks at her. "You're really becoming a great doctor."

"Thank you, Nurse Joy." He seems far away to her, and she guesses the reason why. The girl was from Pallet Town, and Joy knows that he had a friend from there who went missing five and a half years ago. He must be thinking about him now.

"You know, Brock, as much as I like teaching you, I think you might be better finishing your training and getting your official certification from the academy."

"I've been thinking about that, too. It's just…" Suddenly her hands are in his, and he is on his knees. "How could I leave such a beautiful woman behind all alone in this center?" She sweatdrops and tries laughing him off. Even though they have worked here together for two years, some things never change.

Interrupting the moment (which she is much grateful for), the phone in the nurse's station starts to ring. She pulls away and goes to answer it, but Brock follows her closely. When she hits the accept button and picks up the receiver, the picture of Gary Oak appears on the screen. Both then look surprised since he is in Sinnoh currently and would have no real reason to call the two of them.

"Gary?" Brock asks. "Why are you calling?"

"I tried calling Gramps, but he wasn't home. Misty wasn't at her gym, either, and I figured you're the next best thing."

"Thanks," he mumbles. Gary ignores him and cuts to the chase.

"Have you guys seen the news?" They both confirm they have not. "There's some really weird weather happening in Johto near Mount Quena."

"That's weird. I wonder what could be causing it."

"I don't know, but the lab wants me to go check it out. I was thinking Gramps might want to come, too."

"So why are calling me? Or Misty?" His face turns the slightest bit of red at the mention of her name, but he tries hiding it.

"Well, she is one of the strongest gym leaders in the region. I thought she could be helpful. You would just be back-up."

"I don't know, Gary. I have a lot of responsibilities here-"

"Go ahead and go, Brock. He's right. They might need you."

"So it's settled. I'll meet you in Goldenrod in front of the radio tower at noon tomorrow." Brock tries to protest and come up with a reason why it would be hard to get there in less than a day, but he has nothing. It isn't that he doesn't want the adventure. He just wants to stay with the nurse of his fantasies (despite the numerous times he has been shot down by his mentor). "I'll call Gramps again in a little bit, but could you try Misty?" Conceding since he wouldn't mind seeing and talking to his friend again, he agrees. Besides, he also knows that Gary still feels awkward around the water trainer.

"Sure. I guess we'll both see you tomorrow then." Gary says a quick goodbye and hangs up. Nurse Joy hangs up on their end and looks at Brock. "I should go home and get ready. Will you finish taking care of Squirtle?"

"Of course, Brock." He nods in a serious manner before heading out to Pewter Gym. In the back of his mind, he has an odd feeling about this latest development. He shakes it off, though.

* * *

Grumpy and in a huff, Max walks down the hall in headquarters towards his father's office. He was just about to get seconds when a grunt fetched him from the table. Apparently it is really important and could not wait for him to finish his meal. He'll probably get yelled at, too, since his hair is borderline spiky. Even though he has no idea what it could be, he hopes that it is not another mission so soon. He would like to do some light training with his team before taking a nap.

When he reaches the door, he goes straight in and shuts it. This prompts Giovanni to look up from his desk. As his son comes closer, he observes his hairdo and disapproves of it initially. He used to let his hair be messy on occasion when he was young, usually just to anger his mother. A certain someone used to tease him about it, but deep down she liked it better than his normal style. This time he decides not to get angry.

"You don't have to say it. I didn't do my hair before I left my room. I was just really hungry-"

"It's fine." That surprises him, and he stares in silence. "Max, I have some very important business to attend to in the Johto region. I need you to stay here and act as temporary leader until I get back."  
"What about Domino? She's much better at it than me."

"She will be accompanying me." He tries to protest again, which prompts him to get angry this time. "You need to stop running away from your responsibilities as my son. When I retire, Team Rocket will be in your hands. I expect you to be ready and to continue the legacy of our family." No matter how much he does not want to take over the crime syndicate, he also does not want to argue right now about it. The fights always end up the same way. He still wants that training session and nap.

"I know, Father. I'm sorry." The paternal side in him feels guilty, but he refuses to let it show too much.

"It's alright." His phone then rings, interrupting them, and he answers it right away, Max stands there waiting, hoping he can leave soon. Giovanni calmly sets the receiver back down and vacates his chair. Persian stands up as well.

"Are you leaving now?"

"Not yet. There seems to be a problem with the jet. I don't know why I ever put those buffoons in charge of prepping it." He knows right away the trio his father is referring to, even though they rarely are buffoons anymore. His father just likes to blame people when his plans are slightly derailed, and often the ones he knows as Jessie, James, and Meowth receive the brunt of it due to their past history of failures. A fleeting thought in his mind wonders why he has never really met them before when they are considered to be in the elite class of agents. This thought is dismissed by his father speaking once again. "Just stay here and wait for my return." He and Persian leave the room.

Max, however, doesn't leave. Instead, he looks around the office, his attention coming to the large desk and comfy looking chair. He makes his way over and debates whether or not it would be okay if he sat down. Then again, he reasons, he is in charge as soon as his father leaves the base. And taking a seat won't mean he has relented into going into the family business. He's just tired.

With that reasoning in mind, he takes the seat and looks out over the wood surface. A picture of him and his father is the only decoration though it may seem strange to anyone else who doesn't know him. Despite wanting to conquer the world, he has a good relationship with his adopted son. Giovanni's own childhood wasn't quite the best with his mother either busy with a scheme or out having fun. Her constant beratement of her son didn't help, and neither did her constant disapproval of everything he did. When he brought Persian home, she was angry. When he didn't quite get perfect grades with his private tutor, she was angry. When he allowed his team to be found out and then followed, she was angry. Most of all, she was angry that he brought someone from the outside into the organization. She had fun laughing at him and saying how she told him so when that someone left without a word. None of this Max knows explicitly, but he is aware of his father's rough time growing up.

With a sigh, Max leans back in the chair, wondering if he could ever get used to this. He both literally and figuratively has large shoes to fill when that day comes where he is forced to take over as leader. That will likely be a ways off since he is not aware of any immediate plans to retire, but then again, he does not know much about that.

Finding himself bored, he looks in the drawer on his left for a pen. What he finds instead is a file folder that looks curious. He pulls the manila folder out and sets it on the desk, contemplating whether or not he should open it and check out its contents. It is unlikely his father will come back and catch him so he figures he is in the clear. Clipped to a stack of papers is a picture of some kind of Pokémon that he has never seen before. It is clad in armor, stands at about human level and is lavender and white in color. The photo was obviously a candid shot, and the creature looks angry somehow. This doesn't make sense in his mind as he cannot see the being's face.

An image then flashes through his mind, one of that creature minus the armor attacking a smaller, cat-like Pokémon. Just as quickly the image is gone. _Great_ he complains to himself. Aside from nightmares when he sleeps, he now apparently is having more weird visions while he is awake. Even still, he decides to further investigate this report. The next page has a rashly scribbled post note stuck onto the paper. He recognizes the writing as belonging to his father and wonders what it means. All it says is the name of a mountain in the Johto region…the area he was just at nine hours ago. Come to think of it, the whole mission was odd. There was no stealing of Pokémon or moving along a new plot. Instead it was scout work for something in the future. That creature must be connected to that mountain, and Giovanni had a hunch about it so he sent them out on reconnaissance. His team wasn't the first as he thinks about it, just the latest.

Forgetting about his nap and training, he puts the folder away and stands up. This mission is something he wants in on, even if he has to sneak on board and leave the base with the fourth in command. Hopefully they don't leave before he grabs his Pokémon, hat, and gloves. His hair, though, will have to remain as is. He rather likes it somewhat unruly anyway.

* * *

Following lunch, Misty decides to return to her gym along with Pikachu. Hopefully there will be no more trainers today. There's a lot of gym paperwork she needs to catch up on as she has been neglecting it lately, and that is one thing Daisy does not help out with. Not that she could blame her as it is usually incredibly boring, which is why she has been putting it off.

When she enters the gym, her other two sisters say a brief hello and continue their planning. A few years ago the water ballets the three of them did began drawing in fewer crowds. After that, they started looking for new ways to make money and perform. Around the same time that Daisy started to get serious about gym training, Violet and Lily caught their big break on a trip to the mall. Since then they have various acting gigs, but on their downtime, they come back and put together a show. Since they don't happen all the time, they draw in large crowds like they used to.

Just as she gets ready to grab the stack of papers from the front desk to take it upstairs and do in her room in peace, the fourth sister appears.

"Hey, Misty, like, Gary called for you while you were out. He looked really serious."

"Why would he be calling me?" she asks aloud. Daisy smirks.

"Well, little sis, you did get, like, kinda close when he stayed here a few months ago." That prompts her to turn a bit red the same way Gary did with Brock.

"It's not like that. He's a jerk anyway. Who needs him around?"

"Whatever, you say, Misty. But you can't wait around forever hoping Ash will eventually, like, come home. It's been five years." Hearing that, she shoves her way past her sister in annoyance (and embarrassment) and grabs the papers. Lily and Violet stop talking and look at the mini-scene.

"I'll be in my room doing paperwork. Leave me alone so I can finish it. If there are any challengers, you battle them, and if anyone calls, I'm not here." With that, she leaves them all in a huff. Pikachu, who was also saddened at the mentioned of Ash's name, chases after her. The three sisters shrug and go back to what they were doing. She'll get over it like always. Every time they teased her as child, she would get angry and stomp off, but she always got over it eventually. She may be almost eighteen now, but some things never change.

Up in her room, she shuts the door rather hard and drops the papers down on her desk. Pikachu jumps on her bed on the other side of her room and sits to watch her for a few seconds. She mumbles something about stupid Daisy and sits down in her desk chair. Pikachu assumes she'll continue to fume and do the papers at the same time so he decides to take an afternoon nap. He curls up into a ball and falls asleep.

Misty, meanwhile, tries to focus on the forms. They're just some obligatory monthly check-up questions from the Pokémon League about gym operations and win/lose ratios. Her mind goes back to what Daisy said first about Gary calling, and aside from wondering what he could want after being such a cold jerk when he left the gym, she thinks about the news broadcast. The two could be connected. But then why would he be calling her? The second thing she said bugs her more, and she looks away from the paper at the photo frames on her desk. One is of her, Brock, and Ash, taken when Ash was supposed to be training for the Indigo League. The second is her and Ash, this time with Tracey, taken just after Ash won the Orange League. His grin and the way he holds his trophy capture (for her) just how Ash was.

Suddenly her personal cell phone, the number of which only a few select people have, starts to ring. She left it on her desk in hopes of avoiding calls, which has obviously worked out well. It snaps her out of thought, and when she looks at it, she sees the caller ID showing the Pewter City gym, making her forget that she was trying to avoid communicating with the outside world. She hasn't heard from Brock in a couple of weeks so she is eager to answer it. Pikachu, who was awoken by the tone, looks up and over.

"Hello, Misty here."

("Hey, Misty, it's me.") Internally she smiles at hearing her long-time friend's voice.

"What's up, Brock?"

("According to Gary, something weird in Johto.")

"Do you mean all that rain falling near Mt. Quena?"

("So you saw the news then?")

"Yeah, a little bit earlier. But why did Gary call you?" For now, she doesn't mention that Gary called her as well. Brock decides not to mention it, either.

("He's going to go check it out, and he wants you and me to come.")

"Why us?"

("He thinks it might be serious, and he wants us there just in case. He's calling Professor Oak, too. I told him I would go. What do you say?") She thinks about what he just said and lets it all filter. She could use some adventure to get her mind off of everything, even if Gary is there. Seeing Brock and Professor Oak will be fun at least. Maybe Tracey will even come as long as someone else can watch the lab. They did take on another part-time apprentice two months ago who has worked in other labs.

"Count me in. But how are we going to get there?"

("I was thinking of the magnet train. They finally finished the underground stop here a few months ago. You'd be better off traveling south to Saffron to board there.")

"That's kind of far, Brock." On the other line, it's silent as he agrees. From Cerulean to Saffron it takes a good three hours by car. Then an idea suddenly comes to her. Back when she left some of her Pokémon at the gym to help out with their water shows, her sisters used them in other ways. A smooth talking, handsome young man came into town and sold them all on a set of Technical Machine moves for what he promised was a steal (which was true on his end). They forked over two weeks of League pay to the guy, who soon disappeared. One of the moves happened to be the psychic type teleport. As Starmie was a dual water/psychic type, they taught the move to it. It was a big hit in the water shows. Of course, Misty was kind of (read: extremely) angry when she found out, but now it will come in handy. She's never used it before, preferring the traditional method of travel. This time she can make an exception. "Wait, I almost forgot. My sisters taught Starmie how to teleport."

("Hey, that means you can just come here, and we can take the train together.")

"I guess it's a good thing I brought it with me the last time I visited."

("It's settled then. After you get your things together, come to the gym. We'll get there tonight and probably meet up with Gary. He wanted to meet tomorrow, but knowing him, he's already left Sinnoh.")

"Are Professor Oak and Tracey coming, too?"

("Hopefully. I know Gary was going to call them anyway.") Internally she really hopes they do come to Johto. ("Look, I'll let you go now so we can both pack. See you soon.")

"Alright. Bye, Brock." They hang up on their respective ends. Pikachu, who is now sitting up, tilts his head to the left and asks, "Pika?" Misty looks over at the electric mouse. "Get ready, Pikachu. We're going to Johto."

"Chu!"

* * *

_TBC..._

Based on a map, the Magnet Train goes underground and passes through Pewter. I added a stop for convenience as it is reasonable it would expand as population grows. Also, according to Bulbapedia's article on Gen I's TM 30, Starmie is able to learn teleport.

Thanks for reading.


	4. Appearances

I sincerely apologize for the long delay in updating when my goal was to do so once a week. I have no excuse except that I got sick and was out for a week towards the end of February, having to even miss all of my classes. Finals weeks is upon me now, but I managed to get this done to upload anyway. I hope it suffices. After March 15 I have complete free time until March 28 and hope to get out three chapters before I begin my last undergraduate quarter. Enjoy and comment if you'd like.

Without further ado...

_Appearances_

* * *

Rain continues to fall heavily around the area near Mount Quena, including the city of Ecruteak. A woman leans back in her chair and listens closely to the sound of the droplets, knowing full well their source. What kind of boss would this madame be if she did not keep tabs on her own gang members? Smiling to herself, the woman closes her eyes and listens to the tune of the water.

Before she can get too into the rhythm, someone opens her door and steps inside her office. The young woman wears a black uniform similar to that of Team Rocket grunts minus the red R. She lacks a hat, allowing her blue eyes and green hair to be easily visible. She stops in front of the woman's desk, her hands at her sides. She waits for a few seconds, but when her boss does not acknowledge her presence, she finally speaks.

"Team Rocket has mobilized, Madame. They're on their way here as we speak." The boss woman does not move but smirks as she continues to lean back.

"Very good. Let them come." The younger woman simply nods and leaves her boss to be alone. After all, she has much to take care of in the meantime.

* * *

Back at Team Rocket Headquarters, most grunts and other members have finished their meals for the lunch time hour. This includes a certain admin by he name of Petrel. Normally he, like the other three admins, would be out in his respective region of Hoenn. Then last week, when he met up with agents Jessie, James, and Meowth to switch out mecchas for their next mission, James ran over his foot. Following a string of curse words, attempts at hitting the blue-haired man, and a doctor's appraisal, it was decided that his broken foot warranted some time off. Giovanni assigned him to clerical duties back at the base, but even these are minor and are usually brought to him to complete. His leave is almost a vacation.

In the meantime, he limps back and fourth when he feels like moving around, relying on crutches to carry most of his weight. Currently he makes his way to the boss's office to check on Max. He was briefed on where Giovanni, Domino, and the others were going just after he finished his lunch, and he knows how much Max dislikes being Rocket Boss, even if it is temporary. Despite being told to take it easy, he feels like helping the kid out. He's always had a nice spot for him, and, as Proton reminds him often enough, he is a softy (unfit for Team Rocket admin duty).

When he reaches the office, he balances on his good left foot and opens the door with his right hand. He doesn't even have to walk in to see that Max is not there, which is puzzling. Conveniently at the same time, a young woman with purple hair dressed in a standard black Rocket uniform walks by. Petrel's puzzled stance causes her to stop.

"Is everything okay?" He turns and looks at her.

"Yeah. I just thought the boss's kid would be in here."

"Oh, Max? I saw him getting on the plane with Giovanni and the others. He looked like he was being sneaky, though."

"So Giovanni, Domino, and Max have all left?"

"It seems that way." He doesn't say anything, which concerns her. "What does that mean?"

"It means I'm in charge until they get back!" he complains. Max probably thought of the fact that the admin would be willing to help him out and took advantage by dumping all leader duties on him. "I really need to stop being such a nice guy…"

* * *

Meanwhile, on the jet finally bound for Johto, Max remains hidden in the onboard restroom hoping no one will have to use it. He also figures that right about now Petrel will notice he is missing and realize he is the only one on base who can act as leader. Though he feels sort of bad, Max also knows Petrel won't stay too mad at him. He never does.

In the cabin, Domino continues briefing Jessie, James, and Meowth on the trio's main goal. Against all odds, those three have become very valuable to Giovanni and are often assigned important tasks (even with last week's screw up and Petrel's poor foot). On the other airship following them there are more agents, including the trio's main rivals Butch and Cassidy. This operation is too important to mess up so Giovanni has included the best to assist him in catching the rare Pokémon he is after. Since escaping his lab more than six years ago, he has been looking for Mewtwo. It was a fruitless effort for so long, but recently they got leads on the area around Mount Quena. Those leads were confirmed just earlier today. Now he can finally reclaim his property and the power he needs to conquer more than just a few regions.

Giovanni stares out the window and drowns out his current second-in-command's voice with his own thoughts. When they get closer to Mount Quena, the more rain there will be according to the news broadcasts. (That won't be for a little while yet as the plane just took off ten minutes ago no thanks to an agent named Mondo who tweaked the engine into not working when he was supposed to be checking it over for safety.) At first Giovanni was thinking about Mewtwo and how it will feel to have the creature in his possession again. The rain, however, always reminds him of a time long ago. When he was younger, it reminded him of the day he met Persian. He saved the cat Pokémon from some poachers and brought him home to take care of.

He was barely thirteen at the time and had had his trainer's license for two years. Not only did his mother make him wait an extra year to get it, she did not allow him to go on a journey or even a trip for a few days. He thus had to resort to looking for Pokémon around Viridian, which limited him to bug-types from the forest or the many Rattatas and Pidgeys found in the grass on the outskirts. He had yet to fully develop the cruel streak his mother wanted him to have and thus was compelled to save the hapless Pokémon from being captured and sold for its fur.

It was raining very heavily that day due to a storm that came out of nowhere and caught him on the way home from the forest. The painful yowls of an injured creature stopped him in his tracks, and he was forced to battle the poachers with his newly evolved Butterfree. Truth be told, he would have much preferred to train ground-types, but he was settling for what ever he could catch for the time being. Butterfree's spun spore kicked their butts, and he brought Persian to the Pokémon Center for treatment. From then on, the two were partners.

Then, a decade after those events, the young man met a young woman who would come to take Persian's place when reminding him of something each time it rained. Unlike Persian, it was not raining the day they met. Instead, it rained hard the day they parted. He got up early that morning to take care of something at the gym he was the newly appointed leader of. Leading a double life of a future crime boss and League official was not something he preferred doing at first, but the gym would give him access to power and legitimacy if he ever needed it.

That morning an inspector was going to come by and perform a progress report as is required for every gym when it gains a new leader. He just wanted to make sure everything was in order, which he was actually planning on doing the day before until something else needed his attention. Team Rocket scientists were just starting to experiment with cloning technology, and one of their tests went awry. This was long before Dr. Fuji, Mewtwo, and the cloned Amber Fuji, but it was almost as destructive as when Mewtwo escaped years later. Although he and his mother did not condone experimenting on people, some of the scientists went against his mother's orders and did so anyway. The resulting creature had to be dealt with, which took most of the day. Gio resigned to getting up early to take care of the gym instead.

He was not quite sure when she left that day. To the disdain of his mother, the two shared a room and a bed. When he left just before six that morning, she was sound asleep. He expected to come back around ten since the League inspector was going to stop by at nine, and the check would probably run about an hour. When he returned, he braced himself for the usual round of curious questions. In the beginning, this was common of everything he did. It took time to get the point across, but she eventually realized that some things dealing with Team Rocket were better off left alone. The gym, though, was something she helped push him into. The former leader left without a word, presumably to go train in the wild and get away from the stress that the position put on people during that time. The gym happened to be a ground-type gym, his preferred type. During the last five years, he had managed to make himself quite a team. It seemed only natural that he apply, especially when she pointed out (very much out of character) the perks he would have- League funding, a good image, and more power than a normal trainer.

It was a dreary morning when he woke up, and by the time he was heading back home, it was full on raining with thunder and lightning. Persian couldn't wait to get back and snuggle up in some blankets. When he walked through the front door just before noon (way later than he was hoping for), he was not barraged by the questions he was expecting to hear. Instead, it was his mother, smirking with her arms crossed. Short of actually telling him I told you so, she revealed that the young woman up and left without a word just like she predicted would eventually happen. She also dropped on him the announcement of her retirement that would come in two days' time. Not only was he suddenly and inexplicably alone but he was soon going to step into the role of Team Rocket leader while his mother would likely disappear and have herself a grand time with some of that money she so coveted. She left him standing in the foyer and disappeared back into her study with her special coffee.

He became very busy after that with little time to try and track her down. He had a feeling, though, of where she went. It was a short drive to Pallet, but he threw himself into gym and Rocket duties partly out of necessity but also to take his mind off of everything. He made sure he had no time to go there so it would justify his attitude to himself and to anyone who asked. The first time they saw each other again was during that GS Ball incident at the Oak laboratory. Everything happened so fast that day, including the revelation that two had a son he never knew about. Later he would wonder if that was why she left, but he never let himself think about it for too long. It didn't matter why. It was still a betrayal in his mind from the one person he thought he could trust.

He looks away from the window and back at the four agents who have stopped talking. Domino then gets up from her seat and heads for the rear of the cabin towards the restroom. When she tries to open the door, however, she finds it to be locked. She only struggles with it harder before cursing out the stupid thing. Giovanni turns and looks at her in annoyance.

"What's wrong?"

"Someone locked the stupid door."

"How can it be locked if no one's in there?" Just as quickly as that sentence escapes his mouth, he thinks of something. Without a word, he gets out of his seat and walks over to her and the mystery door. He stops and faces it. "Maximilian, unlock the door. Now." From inside, the two hear an 'oh man' before the sign changes to vacant and the door opens. He stands there with a grin and his hand behind his head.

"How'd you know he was in there?" Domino asks in amazement. Jessie, James, and Meowth try to get a closer look without being too obvious. This will be the first time they have seen him up close and in person. Domino doesn't wait anymore for her boss to answer her before doing what she got up for. Father and son head back to take a seat. Max waits for the scolding to begin, but it doesn't. This unsettles him more than anything.

"Aren't you mad at me?" he asks as they both sit down next to each other.

"We'll talk about it later." He agrees and then looks around the plane. He quickly notices the trio he has heard so much about but never interacted with and only seen from afar. They are eerily familiar in a way that doesn't make sense to him. He looks familiar to them as well, but they cannot place his face. Domino soon comes out and returns to her seat. Silence then fills the cabin as they all wait to get to their destination.

* * *

On the ground in Goldenrod City, Misty, Brock, Tracey, and Professor Oak step off of the Magnet Train and onto the platform. The latter two surprised the other pair by their sudden appearance at the station in Pewter. Tracey had the same idea as Misty about using teleport to move quickly. When Gary changed fields and became a researcher in training, he left most of his Pokémon at the lab. This included his Alakazam, who knows the move Misty's sisters taught to Starmie. Luckily Gary brought his Alakazam to Pewter before so the Pokémon was able to teleport there. The trip was only half an hour thanks to the great speed of the train.

The group barely moves away from the platform before a young man, who was previously leaning on the wall, approaches them. He is instantly recognizable.

"Gary, what are you doing here?" his grandfather asks in confusion.

"I got here early and had some to kill so I thought I would just meet you guys at the station."

"How'd you know we'd be here?" Tracey asks.

"I called the lab to make sure you left, and Lana told me you guys were planning on taking the train."

"How'd you get from Sinnoh so fast?" Brock asks next.

"I borrowed an Abra from one of the researchers who used to live here in Goldenrod. Flying on Fearow would have taken too long."

"You're impatient as always," Misty mumbles.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Now, now, you two. There's no need to argue. We should decide what to do next." Gary leaves his glare on for anther couple of seconds before looking at his grandfather.

"I was thinking we head out to Mount Quena now. I rented a jeep already, and it's only about to be four. There's no point in waiting for tomorrow morning."

"But you're not old enough to rent cars yet."-Tracey. Although he did just turn eighteen last week, the rental age in Kanto and Johto is nineteen (which is pretty odd for places where it is acceptable to go adventuring on one's own at age ten, but regulations are regulations).

"The great Gary Oak is allowed to break some rules."

"You told them your grandfather was coming, didn't you?"-Misty. He doesn't answer answer her accusation and continues on talking.

"So what do you all say?"

"Sounds good to me."-Brock

"Yeah, me too."-Tracey

"It would be wise to investigate as soon as possible."-Professor Oak

"It's settled then-" he concludes. Misty cuts him off.

"No one's going to wait for my opinion?"

"Like you were going to say no," Gary mumbles now. Pikachu has a hard time not laughing at their banter, but the two young men sweatdrop at the possibility of a fight. The professor remains the calm mediator.

"Let's go then. We don't have time to waste, especially if this is something very serious." He takes the initiative and walks away towards the entrance/exit. Tracey and Brock follow. Gary looks at Misty and sticks his tongue out, but she smacks his head. Pikachu does laugh at this, the maturity of the apparent young adults being dubious at most.

As they walk away, someone else watches them from the wall. This person, clothed in a dark gray trench coat, matching derby hat, and sunglasses, uncrosses his arms. His eyes follow the group of five out the doors, and once they are gone, he pulls out a small cell phone and dials a phone number.

* * *

The mysterious woman who is awaiting the arrival of Team Rocket and the fruition of her plans looks at her desk, taking her mind off of the sound of the rain that had previously captured her attention. Various papers are strewn across it, but she has no concern for what they say. It has taken far too much time for her ideas to see the light of day. She may have officially retired years ago, but she never truly slinked away from the world. She left a large organization in the hands of her only son, but she as been watching him ever since. He disappointed her back then, and sadly, this has not changed.

It is for that reason alone that she has been pursuing her latest goals. It took a long time to build up Team Rocket, but this time around, she has been much faster with her plans. She discovered not long after her son the existence of an heir to the empire aside from Giovanni himself. She had no idea all those years ago or else she may have changed her actions that morning it rained heavily in Viridian. Even still, she feels she has a better way to raise any heir of Team Rocket, biological or adopted (or both). She failed with her own son as he has been too preoccupied with acquiring Pokémon to take over the world. Where he continues to receive funding is a mystery indeed. Money was always the most important thing in Team Rocket. (At least, it should have been.) All she wants now is to teach her son a lesson and show him she is the best choice when it comes to raising her grandson. She should have stepped up five years ago, but it is better late than never as they say. She only wonders when her brat boy will finally arrive and allow her to rectify the mistake made five and a half years ago…

"_No sightings of the missing Pokémon trainer from Pallet Town have been reported since he went missing three days ago. His mother Delia Ketchum and Professor Samuel Oak are asking for people to be aware and look out for Ash Ketchum, the recent Orange League champion. They are also offering a reward to anyone who may help bring Ash home. Those individuals with potentially helpful information are urged to contact their local Officer Jenny…" _

_ Giovanni flips the TV off and turns around in his chair, petting Persian on the head a few times. The chair is then vacated, and he exits the room, Persian following closely behind. The halls are lined with fancy paintings and exotic plants. The reddish orange carpet and brown walls make the place somewhat dark, but it has always been a color scheme he liked. The elevator at the end of the hall takes him down to the lowest level of his base, which is much darker and has no decorations. It is much more of a laboratory than anything one might find above ground. _

_ He stops at one of the rooms, which has a large window, allowing him to see a young girl lying on a table with a Drowzee nearby. The psychic type is connected to a machine similar to what Butch and Cassidy used in the Orange Islands. A scientist looks up from his clipboard and at him. He says something to another scientist and quietly leaves the room to meet with his boss._

"_What is your progress?" he asks._

"_Her mind is much more complex than his. It is taking longer to completely remove her personality and memories and replace them with new ones. He was much easier. His mind was weak." Giovanni hardens his glare. "I-I mean no offense, sir. It must be the fault of his mother and his friends."_

"_His mother has always been foolish. Pokémon are tools to be used, not to be friends with. Those gym leaders he was traveling with are from two of the weakest gyms in the region. They do not understand what it means to truly be powerful."_

"_I think Persian feels differently about your friendship, sir."_

"_Persian is an exception," he snaps. The scientist doesn't say anything else for fear of angering him further. Giovanni turns around. "Just let me know when you finish with her." _

_Following this departure, he decides to go check on Ash, who is now resting in another room. The sedatives given to him are very powerful and will keep him unconscious for at least another day. This room has no window to look through so he goes inside. Standing there with his left hand in his pocket, he stares at the messy black hair. He is going to have to change that style of his as it may give him away when he finally goes back out into the public. Persian rubs his leg, pleased that his master is, even if that does mean the other person Persian cared for long ago is suffering at the same time. It was all by chance he has been allowed this new opportunity._

_He plays the scene through his mind again. It still seems so odd that they, along with a legendary Pokémon, were captured by what was supposed to just be the most powerful Pokéball. Thankfully no one else saw what happened just before the final attacks collided. He was also surprised that he was able to escape so easily although the boy's mother has already attempted to contact him since then. Not wanting to draw any attention or suspicion (though it was unlikely since he has come to think of her as a simpleton who wouldn't see what was right there), he refused to even talk. He has a feeling, though, that he will see her again soon._

_Snapping out of his thoughts, he thinks to the future and the chance to prove his mother wrong. Madame Boss would never come up with such an ingenious plan. She would probably scoff at him, but she did not know how to raise a child. He will show her how to do it right. Ash's skill, though substantially underdeveloped in Giovanni's mind, could not be wiped out by Drowzee and a machine. Together they will lead Team Rocket and fulfill all of the dreams his mother was not even capable of having. He smirks._

"_Soon, with your help, it will all be mine…"

* * *

_

Max looks out the window and watches the clouds go by. Their thickness seems to be getting more obvious, and he figures that by the time they reach their destination, it will be raining fairly heavily. He does not notice it, but his father looks at him and does not redirect his gaze when he realizes that James notices him paying attention to his son.

* * *

TBC...

The text in italics was a flashback that I have been holding onto since the end of _GSD_. I decided to wait and explain what happened later on, which turns out to be now. "It Will All Be Mine" was the name of a song from the _Pokemon! Live _stage production back in 2000-2001.

In the games, teleport would only take you to the last Pokemon Center. I combined a little bit of Tenchi Muyo logic in the way that Pokemon (like Ryoko) can only teleport to places they have been and can thus picture in their minds. Also, Gary's Fearow appeared in the Johto League episode on the computer when Ash was looking up information about him.

Thanks for reading.


	5. Best Laid Plans

Sorry for the delay, guys. My computer broke, and school has been busier than I thought it would be. I know I hoped for a few updates during my break, but it was hard to get anything done with a netbook, especially while I was exiled from my house and staying at my grandma's. Good old family drama. Anyway, here is the next piece in this story. Enjoy and review if you would like to.

* * *

_The setting sun paints the cape in hues of red and orange, and the waves lap up on the shore in rhythmic motions that would relax even the most uptight trainers. Gary stretches out his legs and looks at the sky, his hands behind him sinking in the soft sand. Not more than a few feet away, Misty tries to keep herself from relaxing by not spreading out her limbs in the same comfortable manner. He notices this but says nothing. Even now, even after almost five years of being absent, he cannot understand why her mind drifts back to the boy who started his journey with a Pikachu. That electric mouse is currently resting with all of their other Pokémon at the city's Pokémon Center after the battle they just faced together. It was not how he expected this project to end. _

_ He originally came here two months ago to study the odd decline of water types off of the coast. Cerulean Cape has always been known for water Pokémon just like the rest of the city, but the last few months saw an odd disturbance to this pattern. Professor Oak volunteered his grandson for the job, which be his last in his home region before he departs for Sinnoh when the new year comes._

_ As it turned out, it was the result of changing migration patterns that were the consequence of rising ocean temperatures and chemicals being dumped into the water. This increase in ocean temperatures was first reported on years ago, the fear of the increasing production of energy from fossil fuel sources the catalyst for such worry. Due to the interests of other, more powerful entities, there was a lot of controversy about this idea, which squashed a lot of research. So far, however, those concerns have seemed valid not just here in Cerulean but in other areas, especially the Orange Islands. The tropical region's waters were rising in temperatures that varied one to two degrees above normal. As Pokémon are adaptable, this was not enough to change their habits too much, which is why Cerulean Cape was such an odd phenomenon._

_ Recently, before more blame was placed on the warmer waters, the crisis was thought to primarily be caused by the Hakubi family's dumping of waste material from the production of various human and Pokémon biomedicine products. With the gym leader's help, Gary was able to prove that it was indeed the Sinnoh-based family whose influence has come to rival even Team Rocket as they expanded their industries and moved into the other three mainland regions. One of their major factories is located on the outskirts of the city, and they were freely dumping the by-products into the water despite this practice being prohibited by various laws enacted by the local and regional governments. _

_ Even with this setback, the family has put out a statement of intent to pay all fines and close the factory until the violations are fixed. Though this incident just happened earlier today, the matriarch was quick to speak to the public and begin repairing the damage done to their reputation. It doesn't matter too much since they own a significant portion of other sectors of the economy aside from medicine, but that woman loves money, success, and showing off her brilliance. Her husband, who is far quieter, lets her get away with such behavior._

_ In the mean time, there will be much clean-up, and it will take time to heal the ecosystem though everyone is confident things can return to normal eventually. The chemicals luckily only seemed to interfere with their senses only as long as they were exposed. The ocean flora worries experts more, but all that can be done is fix the damage and hope the plants respond as well as the Pokémon._

_ The breeze picks up and ruffles Gary's dark gray jacket, which is unzipped and reveals his white shirt underneath. The evening temperature is mildly warm despite it being winter, and it felt good to sort of remove one layer. She, however, is more dressed for the beach since Gary burst into the gym during her daily training session with her Pokémon. She barely had time to throw on a pair of long denim shorts and a losse fitting light blue button shirt she had left by the pool before he was hauling her out of the gym by the hand. The whole scene makes him feel relaxed enough to say what he has been thinking since this afternoon. _

"_Thanks for helping me, Red." His words surprise her as they seemingly come from nowhere, but he quickly remedies the weirdness by going back to his normal self. "You actually came in handy for once." Without having to think about it, she picks up a handful of sand and throws it at him. "Hey, what was that for?"_

"_You're a jerk, Oak," she says simply. He goes about rustling his hair to get as much of it out as he can, but he quickly gives up on this. His hands return to the sand behind him, and he leans back again._

"_I'm serious, Misty. I couldn't have exposed them without your help."_

"_I didn't do it for you. I did it for the Pokémon."_

"_Fair enough," he concedes though they both know it isn't the whole truth. Two months of butting heads and the occasional serious conversation have given each of them insight into the other. Next she decides to ask what she has been thinking about for a while._

"_So what are you going to do now?" He ponders that for a few seconds._

"_I was thinking of going back to Pallet. There's no reason to stay at your lame gym anymore." Obviously this enrages the redhead, and she glares._

"_Take that back!"_

"_Why should I?"_

"_The Cerulean Gym is one of the best in Kanto."_

"_Not with Daisy running it. She's lost, what, four times this week alone?"_

"_She could still beat you any day."_

"_That was a low blow, Red."_

"_Keep it up and I'll show you a real low blow. And stop calling me Red."_

"_Someone's as cranky as her Gyarados."_

"_Gyarados isn't cranky. He just doesn't like you. Can't say I blame him..."_

"_Who __doesn't__ like the great Gary Oak?" She rolls her eyes and moves to get up, finding his behavior to be nothing short of annoying. Her temper is definitely still intact, but she has also learned as she has gotten five years older when it is appropriate to let loose her anger. She won't admit it, especially to him , but she will miss his smug presence at the gym. That is what she is actually irritated about. Not only does she feel that way but she doesn't mind it. Somehow she has gotten used to their arguments to the point of enjoying them (especially since she usually wins). He, too, will miss the chance to out argue her about the day's point of contention. If nothing, he has learned how to be a better debater (though he swears he usually wins). He stands up as well though much quicker and grabs her by the arm. She only looks at him more annoyed than before._

"_Let me go, Oak. I have to go pick up my Pokémon."_

"_So do I. Let me come with you." His proposition floats in her mind by itself before something more sinister, more embarrassing joins the fray. It takes all she has to hold back the blush the warmth of his hand wrapped around her left arm brings, but she manages to do so. He waits for an answer and also has to hold back what he is really thinking. Luckily for both, they are saved from further humiliation by a familiar voice in the not so far off distance._

"_Misty!" Lily's voice calls out. Gary lets her go as they both turn to look at the Sensational Sister getting close. She and Violet came home for the week on a break from their latest magazine photo shoot. She finally reaches them and takes no time to recover her breath. "Misty, there's a challenger at the gym!"_

"_So what? Let Daisy deal with it." She shoots a look at Gary not to comment, and he refrains._

"_But she, like, won't come out of her room!" This spurs some concern._

"_Why not?"_

"_Tracey called earlier. I think he broke up with her for good this time."_

"_What?" they both ask in surprise. Their minds also jump to what a jerk the older researcher is for doing something so serious over the phone. What kind of guy does that? Both thought better of Tracey after knowing him for so long. "You need to come back and, like, battle the kid. He keeps insisting he earn the badge, not just take it like me and Violet were offering." Resisting the urge to get angry at their willingness to give away such a coveted prize like usual, Misty agrees to come back and make him work for the honor of the tear-shaped badge._

"_Fine. Just let me get my Pokemon from the Pokémon Center." Lily accepts her answer and leaves to head back to the gym to inform the challenger. Misty grumbles internally and begins to head back as well. Just as quickly, Gary is by her side, which annoys her._

"_What are you doing now?" she asks._

"_Like I'm going to let you battle without my supervision. You don't want to tarnish the gym's rep anymore than Daisy already has."_

"_Shut up, Oak." Instead of swatting at him like she wants, she just keeps walking. He allows himself to smirk and stays by her side, looking forward to seeing what will most definitely be a great battle._

* * *

The trees pass by quickly as Misty, with Pikachu in her lap, stares out the passenger side front window. In the back seat of the black jeep Gary rented sits Brock with Tracey on his left and Professor Oak on his right. The poor doctor in training is not only squished but is forced to listen to the other two converse about the lab's latest research. It's not that Brock isn't interested as he would more than likely also participate himself, but the current seating arrangements in the back of the small vehicle make things less than comfortable.

Initially the young men both insisted that their elder take the front, and Misty agreed, especially because she did not want to end up next to Gary for the trip. Professor Oak declined and offered that the better choice be the young gym leader (ladies first and all). He and Gary would have plenty of time to chat after this mystery was looked into. Gary didn't mind in the least, but Misty has made it a point to not look anywhere near him. He was strangely nice that last night on the cape, but the next morning they had a shouting match far more intense than anything previous. Daisy, though she was dealing with her own issues, offered the idea that they fought so intensely to cover up the sadness of his departure. Their friendship, after all, has been marked by arguments almost as much as normal conversation. She of course denied any such thing and avoided the subject of Gary from then on.

Gary on the other hand has not been quite as closed about his feelings on leaving and on the gym leader herself. Tracey was the first one made aware of the situation when he complained in about dealing with the Waterflower sisters and how complicated they are. He figured Tracey would understand what he meant since he finally broke up with one of them. It was then that he discovered what really happened. Tracey had not called that evening with the intent on ending their relationship. Rather, he wanted to ask if she would like to spend the weekend on the Seafoam Islands with him as he was going down there to meet up with Professor Ivy's assistants (they wanted him to give an opinion of their research so far). He was also going to bring back the data to take a look at with the professor thanks to the request of female colleague. Once that goal was met, he and Daisy could have the whole weekend to be alone together with no other responsibilities.

She picked the video phone up fairly quickly and greeted him with her usual bubbly self. He barely got to say hello before someone else's voice interrupted from elsewhere in the lab. It was distinctly female and sounded as old as them. Tracey had neglected to inform her that they took on an apprentice for the week as part of her graduate research (who is not to be confused with the apprentice they would take on a few months later).

Now Daisy is not the overly jealous type, but even after he told her who the young woman was, she was still angry that he felt the need to keep it from her when it really wasn't a big deal. The conversation quickly devolved into yelling and arguing about trust issues and jealousy, and it all culminated in the heated announcement that he wanted space if she was going to continue to act like that. The usually nice and calm Tracey betrayed his own personality with a few more words and didn't even say goodbye when he hung up. They talked a few days later and decided that it was probably best if they stayed friends from then on since their break-ups would probably always be marked by the same trust issue dilemma.

It was an interesting story to be sure, and Gary and Tracey both agreed how complex girls are. The young Oak was never one to be emotionally open, especially about feelings of like, but Tracey cajoled just enough information from him to understand. Gary left for Sinnoh shortly after, but knowing him, he has not given up on pursuing what he wants no matter how unreceptive she is or pretends to be.

They all miss Ash and think of him often, but aside from Misty and his mother, they have let go of the hope that he would return, instead believing that wherever he ended up, he has been doing well and hasn't contacted them because he couldn't. It was a long shot, but they decided maybe he fell when Mew reappeared, and it gave him amnesia. For all they knew, Liz was still with him so at least he would have company (although hopefully she lost her memory as well and was no longer the revenge-seeking girl they all met). It was better to believe that than the darker thoughts that had plagued them during their search.

It is for obvious reasons why Delia still holds onto the hope that her only son will come home one day, but even Misty admitted to herself that she didn't know why she has held on as well. Aside from being one of her best friends, Ash was her first crush. That much was obvious to anyone who met them, but they were just kids back then. Still, she finds herself thinking of him in moments where he should be the last thing on her mind. Gary is a poor substitute for Ash as she constantly reminds herself. The only things is, lately she has had trouble believing it.

The rain, which was pouring lightly on the outskirts of Goldenrod, has steadily increased the closer they get to Mt. Quena. This was not unexpected, but it does make for longer drive time as Gary slowed his speed when his grandfather chastised him for speeding in such slippery conditions.

"I hope you guys packed your umbrellas," Gary jokes to try and ease the tension up front.

"You're not afraid of the water, are you?" Misty snaps without even meaning to.

"Settle down, you two," Oak says, cutting off Gary's chance at a reply.

The atmosphere falls quiet again, this time even the ones in the backseat refraining from conversation. Gary takes his eyes off of the road for just a second to adjust the radio dial, hoping to tune into some information about the weather to see if there is any indication of it letting up. While he is distracted, a shadow jumps in front of the vehicle. Misty sees it and yells at him to watch out, but the warning comes too late. The sound of an impact comes next, and he lays on the brakes like their lives depend on it. The water causes the tires to lose traction, and the jeep spins around once before finally coming to a stop on the opposite side of the road. After a few seconds, each of them looks up from the brace position.

"What the hell was that?" Misty is the first to exclaim.

"Hey, it's not my fault some Pokémon ran into the middle of the street!" It only takes a few seconds for everyone to realize what he said before they all unbuckle and jump out to see if said creature was injured by the collision. The falling water quickly drenches them all, but no one notices as their instincts take over. A shadowy lump lies on the road, and Misty takes off faster than any of the others with Pikachu in tow. Gary follows, accompanied by the doctor and the research duo.

The Pokémon, who resembles a Girafarig in basic body type, lies motionless. Its white lightning bolt mane has been turned brown by the mud, and its little stub tail looks the same as the mane. No one has any idea of what Pokémon this could possibly be as none of them have ever seen such a thing before. Then Gary quickly remembers something he saw in a research journal owned by his mentor in Sinnoh.

"This looks like a Blitzle."

"What's that?"-Tracey

"It's an electric Pokémon similar to Girafarig in body type from Unova. It was thought to be native to that region so I have no idea what it's doing here." Misty, who has been attending to the creature, looks at Brock as her hand remains on its head.

"What should we do, Brock?"

"Let me get some supplies out of my bag. I'll be right back." He gets up and runs back to the jeep while the others stay in place.

From the trees, a dark figure in a long coat watches the scene. His look betrays no emotion from under the brim of his hat. Perhaps he should not have sacrificed such a majestic creature in his plan after all. This thought is quickly eclipsed by his main goal as he recalls the train station scene he observed recently. The bickering between the red head and the arrogant researcher will further help him reach his end goal. When the Chosen One comes back from his five-year waking slumber, an unpleasant surprise will be waiting for him. Along with what his mother kept from him and what his father did to him, that should be enough to gain his allegiance or at least his trust. After that, it will all be easy in this phase of his master plan. For now, however, he has to report to the mystery woman known by most only as Madame Boss or some close euphemism. She too has interest in the boy though their goals are quite different. Although her vision in not as grand, it still spells big things for the one currently known as Max Sakaki. The man takes a few steps back and disappears into nothingness.

* * *

Up in the sky, the plane bound for Mount Quena has started to suffer from some turbulence. The pilot, someone Giovanni trusts very much, came over the loudspeaker to announce that it was no big deal and that he had everything under control. That was ten minutes ago, but the bumps have increased in intensity. Each of them buckled their belts and have remained seated just in case. James' hand managed to covertly finds Jessie's, and the two have remained that way. Meowth thought to make an easy comment when he noticed it but kept his usually big mouth shut since he was feeling nervous about the situation, too.

Giovanni, however, is irritated more than he is worried. When the pilot came over the system, he also said he was going to divert the plane south towards Goldenrod due to the rain. It would be nearly impossible to land near the mountain with such heavy clouds and fog not to mention the lightning the plane had already been jolted by twice to no effect.

Suddenly from out of nowhere, the craft shakes more violently than ever. Quickly following, the plane takes a dive to the right side as if it lost some of its engine power. Another impact rocks the plane some more, causing it to lose more altitude. Giovanni presses the button on his armrest that connects him to the pilot as Max tries to see out the windows. Domino undoes her belt as well and goes right to the side of the jet to get a clearer look. She, though normally composed and ready for anything, lightly gasps when she sees the wing on fire.

"What the hell is going on?" the boss' voice echoes. The pilot comes back sounding frazzled.

"I don't know. It seems we've been hit twice by unknown projectiles." A loud alarm sound comes over the intercom, and it only increases in intensity the longer it sounds. "Brace yourselves! Another one is on the way!" It hits right after, knocking Domino to the floor.

One thought races through Gio's mind, and that is to get his son out of here safely before anything else. The jet is equipped with enough emergency parachutes to save each of them (excluding Meowth who will have to cling to Jessie or James). Ensuring the future head of Team Rocket (and his only son) is his main priority as he undoes his belt. Jessie and James know where their boss is headed and undo their belts as well. Domino manages to stand up and follows Giovanni with her gaze. He goes to the back of the fuselage, the right side opposite of the restroom.

"Max, get over here now." Obediently, he comes to his father, who immediately shoves him a pack and instructs him to put it on. The others close in to get ready as well, but Gio, for once putting someone else first when it really matters, shoves his son to the door. He can tell by the view via the window that he can safely open the door without worrying about depressurization. Max finally pulls the pack on all of the way while his father struggles with the lock. It opens, and air is pulled outside.

Max looks to his father in confusion and fear, but Giovanni only appears calm and collected. Max may have had experienced skydiving when a mission he and Abby went on ended badly, but he still feels he does not have enough practice for this to end well.

"Wait for me below. Don't worry. I'll find you."

With that, he shoves his only son out the door. Another missile hits the body of the plane, knocking everyone down. Giovanni does not even get to watch his son open the parachute. Instead, he is left scrambling back up and hoping that Max is as resourceful as his old man. Whoever is attacking them will no doubt be looking for anyone jumping from the flaming plane. What they want is currently a mystery, but he puts it out of his mind for now as he goes to get his own chute on. The right engine explodes in a fiery blaze.

* * *

From the ground below where the gang sits with the injured Pokémon, a bright light catches Tracey's eye. The next thing he sees in the distance is a figure descending slowly, a parachute attached to him or her.

"Hey, look, you guys!" They all look up, including Brock and see what he is pointing at.

"That looks like a person," Gary adds.

"And that looks like a plane on fire!" Misty exclaims when she sees the craft that has slowly been engulfed in more flames. A craft behind it seems to be suffering the same fate. All stare at the sight, their gazes fixed and seemingly unable to do anything else.

* * *

"Madame, the missiles have hit their targets." The woman looks up from her game of solitaire on her little lap-sized computer. "And we've spotted a lone figure exiting the craft. We believe it is who you are searching for." Her expression curves into a smile.

"Good. Dispatch the search teams, and bring him back here in good condition. I do not want one hair on his head touched. Is that clear?" He salutes his boss.

"Perfectly. He will be ours within the hour."

* * *

TBC...


	6. The Hunter and the Hunted

So sorry everyone who has been following this/waiting for an update. Some issues came up in my life, but I have finally finished this next chapter. Hope you enjoy it.

* * *

The sound of rain hitting leaves fills his ears, and he slowly begins to become aware of just exactly where he is. His eyes try to focus on the sky above, but instead he finds a large piece of human-made material covering his whole body. The memories of just moments before come flooding back at once, and he struggles to move the suffocating parachute off of his body. During the process, he also dislodges himself from the canopy that was holding him. He falls about ten feet to the ground and lands with a thud and an exclamation of pain. While still lying down, he struggles to free himself from the pack and finally get free. During the struggle, the rain begins to lessen, and by the time he is fee, it has slowed to a very light trickle.

It takes a little bit for him to get his bearings and catch his breath, and when he does, he looks around his surroundings. It appears to be a wooded area as all he can see are trees and more tress. The sky is still covered in clouds so not much moonlight comes through. His thoughts then race to his Pokémon, and his right hand finds his belt. He only feels one ball there, and he proceeds to curse that the rest of his team are somewhere nearby, hidden by the dark and the plant growth. He fumbles getting it loose as his head still hurts a bit, and he calls out the only partner who managed to stick with him.

"Ursaring!" Glad to see the bearish normal-type, he allows a small smile to grace his features.

"I'm glad to see you, too, Ursaring." Suddenly he flinches and grabs his left elbow. His faithful friend comes closer, but Max just looks up, trying to grin and bear the shooting pain. There will be time to tend to his own injuries later. What he worries about most are his Pokémon and his father and the rest of the team on the plane. They had to have all abandoned ship and are probably looking up just as lost as he is. "Let's look for the rest of the team, okay?"

"Ursa," he nods his head. Once Max has the rest of his team, they can begin to look for the humans and start to figure out what happened up in the sky.

* * *

Brock, despite the strange events they witnessed in the sky, continues to tend to the injured Pokémon. After a potion and some berries, the creature has regained consciousness and started nipping at his hands. He so far has managed to calm it down and continue checking for any other damage.

Misty, however, cannot take her eyes off of the sky for some reason despite Gary's attempts to get her mind back on the situation. The rain lets up while she is staring into the night, and even Gary's hand on her shoulder does not elicit a response. Tracey watches the professor carefully himself, finding his behavior to be odd as well. Though neither know it, the same force is drawing them into the woods to look for something even they do not understand. Pikachu sits by her feet, his ears back and his eyes trying to focus on the sky where he saw the figure falling to the earth.

"We should go see if we can find that person," she says suddenly. Gary looks appalled.

"Why should we do that? We have something way more important to check out." She looks at him angrily.

"What could be more important than someone's life?"

"We don't even know who that person was. For all we do know, they might be an expert skydiver looking for a rush."

"Who jumps from a plane that was set on fire by missiles from the ground just for fun?"

"You don't know that's what happened."

"What else was it? The plane behind them looked the same."

"Misty, it could be serious out there. I don't-"

"She's right, Gary," his grandfather interrupts. "That person may need our help. Our research can wait a little bit." He wants to protest, but he also realizes it would be pointless.

"You guys go on ahead. This Blitzle has a broken back leg, and we shouldn't move it."

"Of course, Brock."-Professor Oak

"But Professor Oak, are you sure you're okay?" Misty asks. He takes no offense and only smiles lightly at her concern.

"I may be getting on in years, but trust me when I say that I had plenty of experience in the field in my youth. I've actually grown to miss the adventure after watching Gary and Ash pursue their goals." Ash's name this time does not bring on the sadness it did before because it reminds them all of his spirit and his rivalry with Gary. They had many fights against each other, and Misty, Brock, and Tracey had many great adventures with the unlikely master from Pallet Town. Pikachu also pictures in his mind the day he met Ash and the moment he knew he could trust the boy with his life. Those happy memories are more powerful right now for each of them. Misty does feel a little embarrassed, though and looks down.

"Sorry."

"Don't worry about that now. Let's get going." He looks to Brock. "We'll keep in touch through our phones, okay? You just worry about that Blitzle."

"Right. You all be careful." They all agree and turn to head into the tress on the east side of the road. Brock follows the gang with his eyes until he can no longer see them. Then he turns his attention back to his charge, his mind torn between his friends and the one he is taking care of.

* * *

_I really wish I had Magby right about now_ Max thinks to himself as he and Ursaring try to look in the dark. They have not been successful in finding any balls as of yet, and a light flamethrower from his magby would come in very handy. The moon is still hidden behind a thick layer of clouds so virtually no light is coming through, making the forest that is already the middle of the wilderness even darker. His human eyes adjusted quickly, but they are still pretty much useless right now. Some Pokémon have great night vision, and Ursaring happens to be one of them. Still, neither the trainer nor his partner have come across the red and white storage devices.

Right about now he also wishes he took more supplies with him instead of being in such a rush to sneak on the plane. For his birthday a few years ago, Abby got him a useful but meaningful gift. A pocket flashlight was never something he thought he wanted, but it suited its practical purpose well. Since he started out so late as a trainer, he wanted to learn and do as much as he could as quickly as he could. This meant lots of reading, especially some of the prominent journals showcasing all of the breakthroughs in Pokémon knowledge. He was especially fond of Professor Samuel Oak and his assistant Tracey Sketchit. They were both based in Kanto, his home region and focused on Max's favorite area of study- Pokémon and human relationships. Building a good relationship with one's Pokémon partners is the key to getting stronger. His father never thought so and advocated for a team made of Pokémon who were strong fresh out of the wild. His son never seemed to catch anything that fit into that category, but he allowed Max to train his own way for the time. Though he does not know it, Giovanni was planning to end that soon and start seriously getting him ready to take over the family business.

On the road with Abby, he would frequently stay up late to get through the reading. He was also required to do some schoolwork to further his formal education (another practice advocated by his father). Learning as much as possible about Pokémon was his fun time, even if meant he got less sleep. One night she woke up from a bad dream to find him trying to see the pages with the poor moonlight. She thought her friend to be somewhat cute, but she also admired his determination. She must have picked up the red little flashlight at one of the convenience stores in Hoenn when he was busy picking out snacks for the road. When his birthday rolled around (which was actually just a week after she bought the gift), she presented it to a confused best friend. Once he realized what it was for, he gave her a rare hug and his normal grin. He's had it with him since that day.

That, of course, excludes the current moment. He forgot his hat, too although it was never his favorite. He always preferred regular caps like those worn by baseball players, but the day he came back to the base in one, he was chewed out rather furiously. His new hat was taken from him, and in its place he received the kind of cap the grunts wore. It was more customized as the small bill was red while the rest was black, and it had no R to signal his allegiance to the crime organization (a feature of some of the newer grunt caps). But it still wasn't the hat he picked out, the hat he pictured himself wearing when he finally won a League conference.

A worse thought then enters his mind: he didn't tell Abby where he was going, and he left her behind. Not only is his father going to wring him out, so will she.

"Ursa!" Max snaps out of his thoughts and looks to his Pokémon. Ursaring stares defensively at the pair of trees on Max's left about ten feet from where he is standing. A figure steps out from the foliage though Max is unable to make out any features. The stranger reaches into his back and pulls out a fully lit lantern. Max double takes at such a feat as there was no light coming from behind him just a second ago.

"Who are you?" Without answering, the man in black pulls something out of his coat pocket and holds them up near the light source. Right away Max recognizes them as Pokéballs...his Pokéballs. They have to be his, he reasons. "Give me those!" In a quick movement, he shoves them back in his pocket and grins.

"Come find me." He blows the lantern out and drops it before taking off into the forest. Max doesn't hesitate and calls back Ursaring so he can give chase. No one is going to steal his Pokémon.

* * *

Elsewhere in the woods, the rest of the Rockets from the Boss's plane have had more luck in untangling themselves from their parachutes. Jessie scrambles to fix her hair while Domino does her best to look around and determine where they are. The stars, which would normally provide some sort of general location, are not visible. Looking around at the trees is about as useful. The fires in the distance from the crashed wreckage they escaped from help a little but not nearly enough. Persian, who came down safely being held by his master, paces and sniffs the ground. Giovanni removes his suit's jacket as the black material has been soaked all the way through to his gray vest and white shirt. Normally this look would be unbecoming, but there are more important things to worry about. He shoved Max out first because he was the most important one on that plane (six years ago that person would have been Giovanni himself). He also promised he would find him on the ground.

"Doesn't anyone think it's strange that the rain just suddenly stopped like that?" James asks aloud. Everyone looks at him.

"You got a point der, Jimmy."

"Who care about the weather?" their boss interrupts. Both are scared silent. He regains his cool composure and begins to brief them. "Our original plans have to be delayed. The important thing for now is finding Max. It would be best to split up. You three," he looks at Jessie, James, and Meowth, "will head west while Domino and I head east."

"But wouldn't it make more sense to split up in four directions?"-Domino

"I don't know who was attacking us. It would be foolish not to expect them to be searching the ground, and to split up further would lead us wide open to further attacks."

Good point, sir. Dat is exactly why you're da boss-"

"Shut up, Meowth." Persian snickers.

"Yes, sir." His attention leaves them briefly as he looks at a bag on the ground. After everyone here had jumped, he grabbed one last thing in case they needed it and took that leap from the downing aircraft. (Though this is of least concern to him right now, the pilot was last out and landed a bit away from their location as safely as they did.) From inside of it, he pulls out a small handgun for protection. Domino doesn't rely on Pokémon for defense, and he only has Persian with him now. Perhaps he should not have again left his team at headquarters the same way he did five years ago when he went to Pallet, but he blames it on his son. Leaving Max in charge meant he would need strong Pokémon, none of which his are. A personal weapon and an elite agent's skills with exploding tulips should be adequate defense given the circumstances. Although Jessie, James, and Meowth have proven to be very resourceful agents, he still trusts himself and Domino more than them. He also grabs the only flashlight, knowing James' faithful growlithe Growlie (whom he took with him the last time he ran into his crazy family while they were on vacation) can use fire attacks to light up the area.

"Take this." He throws it to James, who catches the black backpack. "Keep in contact with your phones, and if you find my son, call me right away. And do not get caught." With those brief but simple orders, he, Domino, and Persian start off in their direction.

Jessie looks at James, he looks at Meowth, and Meowth jumps up to snatch the bag from James.

"Meowth, give that back! The boss gave it to me."

"He obviously made a mistake."

"Meowth, no fair-" Jessie settles the matter by snatching it herself.

"Are you two forgetting what the boss told us to do?"

"Of course not. We're not idiots."-James

"Then stop acting like it. Let's go."

She starts to walk in the opposite direction of Domino and Giovanni, and the boys follow quickly. They go for about half a minute before James starts to complain again.

"It's so hard to see anything."

"Then call out Growlie. We can use his flamethrower."-Jessie

"I would except that I left him back at base." She stops and looks at him, but, as he is not paying attention, he runs right into her. "What's the big idea?"

"Why did you leave him on base, you idiot? He's your strongest Pokémon."

"He hasn't been feeling well lately. I thought he might be sick so I left him to rest."

"Figures. The one time you could be useful you screw it up."

"That's not fair, Jessie." She tries to brush him off, but he decides for once not to let her. It is because of their combined team work, including Meowth, that they have risen to their current status. "Who saved your life on the last mission?" She stares at him without an answer though she knows very well what he means.

Their last mission, which happened just over a month ago, involved sneaking into an enemy's compound hidden just off of Route 25 north of Cerulean City. The area had been a hotspot since the Hakubi family's medical plant was shut down due to environmental violations. Scientists had an active role before the bust, and afterwards, the police showed up as well to keep the area off limits and to watch for any other suspicious activity. Somehow, beneath their incompetent noses, someone else set up shop. Their goal was not clear to the Rockets in charge of intelligence gathering, but Giovanni knew there was going to be trouble, even if it was not much.

Why he picked Jessie and James over anyone else, including Domino or Butch and Cassidy, was beyond them at the time, but they didn't care. It was a huge responsibility, something they had been working for in the years since the twerp disappeared. Meowth, who was certainly just as skilled as the humans, was ordered to remain behind. Not many talking Pokémon exist after all, and even if he swore to keep his mouth shut, Giovanni didn't want to risk it.

They were tasked with infiltrating the base posing as new members interested in joining, and the operation was going very smoothly. They were able to find out the new gang had some ties to a woman who was running the radio station in Goldenrod City over in Johto. It had been purchased and saved from bankruptcy four years prior when Internet radio (which was slowly becoming widely available, especially on devices like the Pokégear that had been utilizing the analog broadcasts for some time) gained almost all of the market share. Talent was leaving the station for other regions where analog was still in demand, and some were even being hired by their digital competitors. Who ever the mystery woman was, she liked to make money and managed to turn the station around quickly with little investment.

This little bit of interesting news was quickly overshadowed when they discovered that this new group wanted to research the affected Pokémon to discover if any had suffered from mutations that either made them or their offspring stronger. If they could detect a mechanism that changed the creatures so dramatically, there would certainly be a way to manufacture it and sell this supplement for a profit. The undercover Rockets realized their own boss could use such strong Pokémon and any way to make others just as powerful. The goal of world domination could more easily be attained.

Before they could make their getaway, though, an even newer recruit recognized them. He pointed Jessie out as Miyamoto's daughter, something very few people are aware of. The leader of the group, who happened to be in the room at the time, smacked himself for not seeing it sooner. With their cover blown and their true nature as spies working for the enemy in the open, it turned into just getting out as unscathed as possible.

James, by a turn of good fortune, still had the keys to their assigned jeep. He quickly called out Weezing and ordered a smog attack so they could sneak away in the confusion. Growlie, who James had brought with him in a Pokéball (something he rarely does since his loyal friend from childhood preferred to be free), came out on his own accord to help. While the Rockets, with Weezing in tow, ran the other way towards the door, he unleashed a massive flamethrower. He was fast enough himself to escape the ensuing explosion with minor cuts and ran to meet them outside.

Unlucky for them, a few agents were outside at their posts and had alerted more to return from area patrol. They sent out their Pokémon to keep the spies from escaping. Normally James and Jessie would have sent out their Pokémon, but even they realized they were outnumbered. The only choice seemed to be to run away in the jeep they were cornered in front of.

Before they could jump in and escape, however, they were attacked by some of the modified creatures they were interested in learning more about for their boss. A mutated-looking bellsprout who was orange in color instead of yellow and possessed extra large leaves was called on to attack. It hurled some small razor leaves that Growlie easily destroyed with his flamethrower. This was all for show, however, as another bellsprout nearby readied an even more powerful attack. This leaf was more than five times the normal size, and the speed at which it was released gave little time to react. James, however, in an adrenaline high, was able to see that it was aimed more at Jessie than him and threw himself in front of best friend.

The sharp edges dug into his back, staining his white shirt. Growlie, in a fit of anger at seeing his master injured, released the largest flame he ever had before, rendering the opposing team at least scrambling to regain the upper hand. It was just enough time for Jessie to take control of herself and get him into the jeep. Growlie followed suit and hopped into the back while Weezing floated in. The keys were able to be fished from his pocket with ease, and off they sped before the others got another meaningful attack in.

They headed back to Viridian City, where James made a full, speedy recovery. Once they gave their report to Domino, who was in charge of debriefing them like usual, she gave the information to the boss. He was intrigued to say the least. Meowth teased James about being a hero, but Jessie had trouble looking at him seriously for a week. He risked himself for her, and she was unsure if she would have done the same thing. True, they had been close since they were young teens, but this was the first time he didn't try hiding and instead protected her over himself.

His bringing this up again in the present makes her remember such feelings. James continues to stare at her, but she looks away quickly.

"Let's just get going already." Although it may not sound like much, James smirks to himself because he knows he won the argument.

"Gimme dat!" Meowth snatches from her the bag once again and begins to dig through it. The sappy and serious nature of the previous couple of minutes got to him (mostly because he wasn't there to help out). Besides, they have the important task of finding the boss's kid.

The trio begins to walk again in the dark while Meowth paws through their supplies to see if there is anything that could help them out. First he finds a lighter, but this is not good enough so he keeps digging. By now Jessie and James' eyes have adapted better to the low light, but it is still not the ideal level of sight they could use. The cat Pokémon then find something else more helpful. He stops and flicks the lighter on, getting a small flame that is just enough to light the wick on what he thinks is a weird shaped candle. Why the boss considers a candle a survival tool is odd, but he dares not question the man. The humans notice the light he has made and approve.

"Good job, Meowth."-James

"What's that hissing sound?" Jessie interrupts him looking smug. The boys look at the object in his paws, and her gaze follows.

"Meowth, that is just a candle, right?"

"Of course! Ya think I'm stupid enough to light an explosive in the middle of da forest?"

Before either can respond, a large boom followed by a cloud of heat and fire erupts from his grasp.

* * *

Misty, Gary, Tracey, and Professor Oak all look up into the sky having heard a loud explosion. They were heading towards where the they think the figure fell to the ground, but this distracts them as it is loud and close.

"What was that?"-Misty

"Something blew up, genius."-Gary

"Why you-"

"It came from that direction," Tracey points, interrupting the impending argument.

"We should split up again. Tracey and I will continue on in the same path. You two go see what that explosion was all about."

"But Gramps-"

"What's the matter, Gary? Afraid of some weedle and caterpie?" Misty stiffens at the mention of such bug Pokémon, but Gary crosses his arms at being made fun of by his grandfather.

"As if. I did a more dangerous things that summer for Bruno when I was training around Pallet."

"Then there's no problem. Come on, Tracey. Let's get going." Without further debate, he turns and keeps going in the same direction, followed by Tracey, who flails his arms in attempt to help him catch up quicker. Gary looks at Misty, who is still thinking of all of the bugs.

"Come on, Red." He grabs her arm and drags her in the direction of the loud explosion, and she lets him as her mind is still thinking of ways to avoid the bugs that involve not jumping behind or on top of Gary. Pikachu follows them quietly.

Tracey finally catches up to the professor and begins to look around once again. Things are so dark he wishes he brought better supplies or Pokémon. The only flashlight he had he left with Brock just in case, but now he feels they could probably use it more.

"Professor, do you think that person landed safely?" he asks, hoping to start a conversation. The eeriness of the situation would get to him otherwise. "I mean, he might have ended up tangled in a tree or worse." The professor, however, is not listening to this or anything he says afterward. Rather, he cannot shake the feeling that is unknowingly drawing him towards that figure. A howl in the distance catches his ears, and he looks there now. Tracey, trying to see the ground in front of him, keeps walking, not realizing that his mentor has stopped. The howl has somehow escaped him."I hope Misty and Gary will be okay," he continues to ramble. The howl comes again, and the professor departs from the path Tracey is taking, heading into the woods alone.

* * *

Max bursts through the trees into a clearing and stops. His heavy breathing is all that can be heard as he looks around for that mysterious figure. He has no such luck as no signs of life can be found. He curses to himself for losing the thief. Not only is he alone in the woods but his Pokémon, the partners he caught and has trained, are seemingly gone without a trace.

"Get back here, and give me my Pokémon!" He hears no response and falls to his knees, punching the ground with as much force as he can muster. "Damn it, I should have stayed like Dad told me..."

A howl suddenly interrupts his thoughts, and he looks around from his spot on the ground. The grass rustles lightly in the breeze, even under the weight of water droplets, but the howl does not sound again.

Suddenly a man comes from the trees into the clearing. Max, thinking it may be the figure he was chasing, stands up in a defensive pose. The older one takes in the sky for a few seconds before looking back at the earth. The young man before him stares with a hardened gaze, but all the professor sees is a messy head of black hair for once not ruled by some sort of hat. Memories of a boy and his Pikachu flood his mind. That unnamed feeling suddenly makes sense. He recognizes the boy who was like a grandson, even after five years of lost hope.

"Ash?" Max blinks a few times.

"Who's that?" Before he can get an answer, a sting on his neck draws his hand to the spot. The foliage goes blurry, and he closes his eyes and falls to the ground. Samuel panics and goes to run towards him, but the same prickly feeling stops him in his tracks. The drug takes a few seconds longer to go through his veins, but he, too, passes out.

* * *

"This sucks," Gary grumbles as he moves aside a branch for her.

"Shut up, you baby." He lets it go and follows behind.

"You're the one who just barely stopped trembling over some lame bug Pokémon." She spins around and gets in his face

"You better watch what you say, Oak."

"Or what?" he taunts. Her glare hardens, but he only smirks. He missed their arguments, that's for sure. The fact that she does not look away convinces him that she has missed him as well. He also seems to forget that Pikachu is right there and hopes that this time, she will make a move on him. This delusion he is so caught up in that he does not notice her actions. Her fist connects with his stomach, and he loses his breath, grabbing his abdomen and doubling over.

"That's what." He grunts while Pikachu laughs. He still remember all those times he made fun of Ash and has not completely come to see Gary as a decent person whom he approves of being close to Misty.

Suddenly, some bickering nearby interrupts her gloating. All three look at the trees, then at each other. Silently they agree to go towards the sound though Gary still holds his sore spot. The voices get louder as they get closer, and the human duo plus Pikachu bursts onto the scene. The trio stops attacking each other and looks to see who just joined them. The orange-haired one they recognize right away, but Gary takes a bit longer. It clicks for all three, though, especially when they notice Pikachu.

"It's the twerps!" Misty and Gary look at each other, but they quickly recognize their old enemies. Pikachu gets into stance and readies an attack, but he waits for Misty to ultimately order it.

"Team Rocket!" They all get into defensive positions, about to draw out their Pokémon.

"Wait a second, Jessie."-James

"What is it?" she practically growls, not taking her eyes off of them.

"The boss's son...didn't he look familiar?"

"So what?" Her mind follows the same path his does, and Meowth catches on as well. Then all three realize something at the same time.

"It was Ash!"

* * *

TBC...


	7. The Truth Comes Out (Part One)

Hey, hey everyone. It has been way too long since I updated this story, and I apologize for that. I finally polished this chapter to my liking and have begun work on the next chapter so hopefully it won't be long before the next update. I will work as quickly as I can, but right now I am also getting ready to apply to graduate school so writing my statement of purpose for that will be my main priority. In the mean time, enjoy this installment. To avoid confusion, flashbacks are in italics.

* * *

_The early morning, which has just begun to break the thinning evening sky, creeps into the large house as one member alone makes his way around the lower section. A man, with black messy hair, dark brown eyes, and bolted cheeks, makes his way to the garage with a single duffel bag in his left hand. He never dreamed that the day would come when the best solution was to run away and leave not just a controlling wife but his young son. Their joint business ventures are failing, and all she does is continue to insist her way is the right and only way. His parents, who never approved of their union in the first place, have been urging him over the past few months to sever ties and just leave. His son would be taken care of. Of that there would be no concern. He was a Hakubi, after all though the child's mother forced onto his birth records her surname. Marcellus did not oppose such measures as all he wanted was for his beloved to be happy. It seemed that, no matter what he did, that was a continual challenge. _

_ Now here Giovanni was, about to be three years old, and their string of shops supposed to rival Poke Marts had failed miserably. The cost of importing goods from other regions fell below the price at which they could be sold for. There was little demand for most of the things they were able to acquire, and the up and coming Silph Company seemed to have a monopoly on many sectors of the market like technology and Pokemon medicine. She blamed it all on him, and he let her. He let her berating and late night yelling keep their child awake while his own self-esteem chipped away to almost nothing. The young woman he met in college was not this person, and he suspected it was not all based on their failed business ventures. Then again, no matter how many times he tried to blame it on some imbalance that had developed since having their son, he knew deep down that this was not the case. _

_ She was always a person who craved power and money. Once she got a taste of the seemingly unlimited supply of both after marrying him, her demand for each increased and could not be satiated by what his family was able to offer. She was hoping to strike it big with their chain of stores, not look desperately for buyers to unload the failing venture onto. He knew the day she turned down their highest bidder to date that nothing would make her happy until she was declared the richest woman in not just Kanto but the rest of the united Pokemon regions._

_ He also knows he is a coward for leaving this way, but he was never good at facing his challenges. After all, when he found out that their mutual friend Samuel had feelings for her, he avoided the man for a month. Then he took her away to get married spur of the moment so she would be his without any fear of anyone taking her away, even Sam. He avoided the man for a month more. What he did not realize at the time was that even Samuel knew she was not the kind of woman to be tamed and content with domestic life, even if she had a career outside of it. She would always be the dominant half, seeking more. That kind of life partner was not what he was looking for no matter how many times he dreamed of her or fantasized about them running away together. Marcellus never found this out and is just now realizing similar feelings. _

_ Suddenly a light flicks on in the hallway leading to the garage. All he can do is freeze in his tracks, knowing he has been caught red-handed. Her voice follows quickly after._

"_So I married a coward after all." He turns around at being called such an enraging term. At the end of the hall stands a woman in a silk lavender bathrobe, her dark hair loose and cascading down her back. He forces himself to swallow his feelings and tries to harden his resolve. Besides being the one he loves, he has also always been attracted to her since they first saw each other in the sorry excuse for a lunch area the university they attended had to offer._

"_Minny, you-"_

"_Don't call me that. You know I hate it." This silences him as he tries to think of the proper thing to say. Then again, what is the correct etiquette for telling your overbearing wife that you're leaving her and their young child behind to head home to a region an ocean trip away? He imagines no such guidelines exists. Nevertheless, his resolve returns._

"_Look, I can't do this anymore. I don't share your dreams. I guess I never did. I love you, and I love Gio, but I can't continue on like this. It's not fair to any of us, and you know it."_

"_So what took you so long to leave? We don't need your sorry skin to take care of us." He ignores that and continues, knowing she is wrong but unwilling to admit such a thing._

"_I'll make sure both of you have enough to live on, even when I'm back in Sinnoh. You can have the house, the cars, and what ever else you want except the business. It'll drown you in debt if you keep it."_

"_The last person I'm taking financial advice from is you. You couldn't even run a successful souvenir shop at the Pokemon League competition." Wanting to become defensive at this, he tries as hard as he can to let it go. Their final exam for one of their upper level business classes was to run a small-scale business, of their own, and selling things at the Indigo Plateau competition that year was his choice. As alluded to him by her, he had to repeat the class._

"_Fine, do what you want. You never listened to me anyway. Tell Gio I said goodbye. I left him a note on the dining room table. Do me a favor and give it to him when's older. And have a good life. I know I will."_

_ Leaving no time for to say anything else, he continues on to the garage and opens the door to leave, taking the . She could argue, yell at him like usual, but she doesn't. This time he has finally grown a spine and stood up to her, and while she is angry at him for turning tail and running away, she also admires his last minute show of courage. Mix into that the shock he is finally doing what she was waiting for all along and you get Minerva Sakaki left alone standing in the hallway of what is now solely her home. Upstairs Giovanni sleeps soundly, unaware of what has just transpired. The poor boy not only has no chance to say goodbye to his father but also no chance to think anything different of him than the lazy, worthless, selfish bastard she will make him out to be in the years to come, especially when he starts getting older and grows into a young man resembling the one who left them both._

* * *

_(Back in the present...)_

Far from the lapsing rains of Johto, a man with bolted cheeks and messy gray hair with only subtle hints of black switches the TV in his study on mute. The picture box in the left corner diagonal from his desk continues to show reports of strange weather and plane crashes, which are confusing everyone from lay persons to authorities as evidenced by the coverage. The older man sitting at his desk, however, has a good idea of what is going on. He looks to his left out the large window there, greeted by the usual clouds that hang around northern Sinnoh. The small town is not located so north it is perpetually covered in snow as it is in places such as Snowpoint City, but the weather is almost always chilly with frequent rain.

He came here almost forty years ago after his parents beckoned him home, but who he left behind he never truly lost track off. Neither did his new wife as she felt his ex and their only child were some kind of threat to the couple's life, but that was never true. He left in the early morning hours like the coward he has since spent his life trying not to be. She mostly dropped off the radar and went on to found a criminal syndicate with the money that was supposed to have been put away for their son's education and life. She managed to gain access, and the funds helped her start her dream business. Luckily enough for young Gio, he received the best education and grooming as Team Rocket was far more successful than any of the ventures they had tried before as partners. They used Pokemon as tools for making money, which was always her number one goal. If something would not bring profit, even a legendary Pokemon that few believed existed, then she passed on it. Their son, however, was different.

Giovanni finished the work his mother started. Her top agent at the time set off in search of the mysterious Mew and disappeared with the ball technology she invested so much time and money into. From then on, Mew was nothing more than a wasted cause. As soon as Giovanni was left in charge, however, he started up again on the venture. Instead of aiming to make lots of money, however, his desire was to create the most powerful Pokemon who would help him gain control of and then rule the world. Such a venture never panned out though Marcellus is unsure of all of the details. Any records he had were mysteriously destroyed, most before he could get a good look at their contents. As a result, he knows nothing of the New Island tournament that almost claimed his grandson's life and where Mewtwo attempted to find his way in the world. He also knows nothing of Giovanni's continued, fruitless search that has led to Johto this day, the day when his son, grandson, ex-wife, and old friend will be forced together again in events that are still pending.

"Watcha watching?" a familiar voice interrupts his thoughts. He turns and looks at the entrance to his office at the short redhead standing there. Her wild hair, much more puffy than his previous love, cascades down her back, untouched by age (thanks in part to her genetic experiments). In her green eyes is a knowing but amused look, meaning she is only asking to get the conversation going. He smiles softly and turns the television off.

"Nothing, just some news report from Johto." She doesn't believe him in the slightest.

"You do realize who's behind all of that, don't you?" He half laughs.

"The former Madame Boss of Team Rocket infamy. I'm not a fool. I was married to her for four years." His wife scowls, her cat-like green eyes slanting in disapproval. "Oh, like you haven't kept tabs on everything she's done since we met?" This is met with no answer since the truth is hard to deny to the man she's been with for thirty years. His expression suddenly turns serious. I just wonder what she wants."

"From what I've gathered, your grandson is her target."

"Ash? But he's been missing for over five years."

"He never disappeared."

"What do you mean?" Suddenly the conversation loses its light-hearted nature.

"Giovanni took him. He doesn't know who he is except for the adopted child of the Team Rocket leader." Although shocked, he continues on asking questions.

"And his mother then...?"

"Has been mourning his loss for no reason." Marcellus clenches his fists at the notion. He never personally met Delia, but anyone who could get past Giovanni's defenses has to be someone incredible. The last thing any mother deserves is to bury her child, even if not physically.

"She turned him into something far worse than I ever imagined..." He clenches his fists and pounds his desk. "I have to go. I have to make things right. It's all my fault." She half smirks, knowing his reaction was going to be exactly this.

"The plane is waiting for you. Your bag is onboard."

"What do you mean it was Ash?!" Misty demands angrily. Gary, too, is anxious for their explanation. He knows that these three used to follow Ash and his friends around, causing trouble and trying to steal Pikachu and other Pokemon. The three come to their senses and stand straight up, deciding not to reveal anything further. It surprises them enough that their boss has kept Ash hidden for five years from most people, renaming him and treating him as an adopted son rather than his own biological child. Obviously he was somehow brainwashed since he has so willingly taken on the role of Team Rocket heir. They all realize, however, that their boss has his reasons and that they must keep it a secret at all costs.

"We don't have time to waste with you twerps," Jessie says. "We have more important things to worry about. Come on, you two," She turns around to leave, and Meowth and James do as ordered.

Their answer is less than satisfactory to say the least, and Misty finds her fists balled up in anger. They are not going to get away when there is so much she knows they are not saying. If they know anything about Ash, even if it is just a tidbit or rumor a couple of years old, she wants to know now. She unclenches her fists and reaches with her right for her Pokeballs attached to her belt (something she started wearing as a gym leader to ensure she is always prepared).

"Wait a second!" she yells. This actually get their attention, and they stop walking though they do not turn around. "I challenge you to a battle right now. If I win, you tell me what you meant." Jessie and James share a glance with each other and Meowth. Yes, they have to look for the son of their boss, but they also remember all of the times the twerps sent them blasting off again. Since their days of following Ash and everyone ended, they have both become more powerful as trainers along with their Pokemon. Meowth still prefers to stay out and act more like a human, and he also knows they have no time to waste. Before he can voice his opinion, though, Jessie and James both turn back towards Gary and Misty.

"You're on, twerp."

"It'll be a two-on-two battle then," Gary speaks up. Misty looks at him, not expecting him to step in like that.

"Fine with us, right, James?" He glances at his long-time partner and best friend before reaching for his chosen Pokemon.

"Victreebel, go!" Jessie follows suit and sends out Lickitung. Both Pokemon stand there and await future orders. Misty and Gary take a few seconds each to survey their competition before choosing their own pocket monsters. As if in sync with each other, he calls forth Umbreon while she tries to send out Politoed. As is the case more often than not, Pysduck takes this as his cue and calls himself out instead of his teammate, the water type his trainer originally befriended as a Poliwag and was then nurtured at the Cerulean Gym into his final form that often clinches badge battles for his trainer. Rather than get angry and show them any attempt to get ahead, she just rolls with it. Psyduck and Umbreon stare down the other two, all four awaiting their master's commands.

"Misty, Gary! Where are you guys?" a voice suddenly interrupts. They hear some loud footsteps and leaves crunching while sticks break. Whoever is coming at them is running, and his steps pound harder the closer he gets. Tracey suddenly bursts through the tree line, out of breath and looking frantic.

"Tracey, what's wrong?"-Misty

"Professor...Oak..." he wheezes. Gary looks at him kind of pathetically for being winded so easily, but he has no idea that the young man has been running around frantically looking for any of his friends after getting lost. "Lost...him..."

"What?" Misty exclaims. "How could you lose the professor?"

"You mean my grandpa's wondering around by himself with no Pokemon to protect him?" Tracey stands up and sees their anger and annoyance, which prompts him to back away as he stutters.

"I-I don't know."

While the "twerps" are distracted, Jessie, James, and Meowth see this as the perfect time to get away. They quickly recall their Pokemon and turn to run into the darkness of the trees. Umbreon and Pikachu, though, see them and try to alert the others. At first Misty and Gary both shrug them off, but Pysduck starts crying at his trainer.

"Psyduck, be quiet already! You're giving me a headache." With the attention off of him, Tracey finally sees what the Pokemon were trying to tell them all along.

"Guys, they're getting away!" Gary and Misty look at where their opponents just were, only to find that they are indeed gone.

"This is all you fault!" she yells at Gary.

"How is this my fault?" They glare at each other, but Tracey, who has had to sit back and watch so many arguments, most more heated than even the ones she shared with Ash, cannot take it right now.

"Why don't you stop your flirty fighting and go after them already?" His comment causes both to blush as he is not normally so forward and outspoken.

"Let's go, Umbreon!" He and the pyschic type take off while Misty recalls Pysduck. Tracey takes off as well, and Pikachu waits for Misty before he begins to give chase himself.

As they run, they falter several times as there is not much light to help them see the way. Bushes and low hanging branches scratch them and draw a little blood, but all Gary and Misty can think of is what they meant by their Ash comment. Pikachu wants to know as much as the humans, and if Tracey knew what happened just before he showed up, he would be the same. Five and a half years ago, their friend disappeared and has not been seen or heard from since. If there is any chance that those bumbling fools know where he is and if he is okay, they have to drag it out of them, not only for their own benefit but for Delia. Parents should never have to bury their children, even if his burial was more figurative than literal, but the feeling of knowing you will never see your child again is the same.

An idea then occurs to Tracey, and he calls out Venonat. Misty glances behind her at the pair, but she soon understands. Venonat has great sight, even in bad conditions. After all, when Ash got lost from the group trying to save Lapras those years ago, she was the one who helped track him down.

"Venonat, remember Team Rocket?" he asks as they run.

"Veno!"

"Great! Scan the area for them, okay?"

"Venonat!" Immediately she begins her search the surrounding trees until his compound eyes locate the trio. "Nat nat!"

"This way, guys!" He turns and follows his trusty Pokemon while Misty and and Pikachu do not hesitate to do the same. Gary, reluctant to let his grandfather's assistant take the lead over him, turns and runs with Umbreon at his side.

Venonat leads the way through yet more trees and bushes as she keeps her sight trained on the two humans and that Meowth who can talk. They seem to have stopped, likely believing they have gotten away. Knowing they will soon hear the loud sounds of people running, Venonat lets Tracey know how close they are. He stops running, causing Misty to almost run into him and Gary to slam into her. She is about to go off on him again when Tracey starts talking.

"Venonat says they're right up ahead, I'm guessing fifty feet or so."

"We should sneak up on them then so they can't hear us and take off again."-Misty

"And if they try, I'll use Umbreon's psychic to keep them from moving."

"Pika," Pikachu agrees.

"Breon!"

"Let's go then."-Tracey

Silently they tiptoe through the woods and towards the trio, all the while Venonat keeps tabs on them. They still have not moved from their spot, which makes the others fairly confident they can catch them. When they get close enough, however, they can hear them having a conversation.

"So is he really the twerp?" James asks in a hushed tone, knowing their pursuers could be nearby. "How could we not notice for five years?" His eyes look genuinely uncertain and a little angry for not recognizing their former enemy. He is loyal to the boss to be sure, but there is no way he would have gone along with kidnapping and reeducating him, as what has seemed to have happened. At least, he hopes he wouldn't. Unlike himself, Ash has a mother who loves him dearly and doesn't treat him like a pet that was adopted to do the family's bidding.

"We have to be wrong. Why would the boss bother with him? You saw how much he didn't care that day when he found out."-Jessie

"Jimmy's right, Jess. Dat was definitely Ash. He mighta changed his looks and all, but it was him."

"The twerp wouldn't have done half of the things the boss's son has." The two boys agree with that. Max is nowhere near as cold as their boss can be, but he has also lusted after the same power and money, just not as explicitly. In fact, the only thing he and Ash would have in common is their ability to make friends and the way they train their Pokemon. Ash would never want to lead Team Rocket to take over the world, sign off on experiments that hurt the creatures he loves when his father was prepping him to take over, or help steal Pokemon from their trainers. Max has done that and more. He is only nice to his best friend Abby and to his Pokemon. Proton even approves of him, and everyone knows how messed up he is.

In the bushes, Ash's friends take these small tidbits in somberly. Though it is not a common technology, there have been isolated cases of brainwashing or reeducating a human using Pokemon. The person effectively becomes someone else entirely. Even the great, caring, nice guy Ash could be trained into a good little heir and soldier in his father's mafia organization. Such an idea as that, along with vague but disturbing thoughts of what Ash could have done, strikes them all with silence. Pikachu looks at the ground. His trainer would never do terrible things. When he and the others got lost on that Pokemon theme park island, he defended Ash to everyone. He couldn't have been wrong. Misty, however, is not about to take this quietly. The redhead does not want to imagine what Ash could have done. She wants to know.

Before the others guys can stop her or even try, she bursts from the bushes and yells at the trio. They look over at her, clearly startled.

"What has Ash done?" Jessie steels herself and stands up, not about to tell anything to the twerpette. James follows suit along with Meowth. Seeing no reason to remain hidden, the guys come forward also.

"We're not telling you anything." That only further pisses her off.

"If you two buffoons don't start talking now, my Pokemon and I will make sure you wish you hadn't made it off of that plane." Jessie scoffs at such a notion, but this only pushes Misty further. She will open up and not only hand them their dignity but something else as well. Gary and Tracey know this won't solve their dilemma so the former acts quickly before Misty can call out one of her Pokemon or send Pikachu in.

"Umbreon, use psychic to keep them in their places."

"Um!" Before they can blink, the trio is surrounded by a blue aura of energy, and they find their limbs unable to take commands. For such a small Pokemon, Umbreon packs a lot of power. The only other time Misty can remember seeing such psychic abilities from someone was Sabrina, who trapped them in her dollhouse and Sabrina's father, who pulled Ash's pants down and made him dance in his boxers. There a few choice things Misty would love to have Umbreon make them do, but she refrains from voicing it. The angry Rockets glare at their enemies, not sure if they are able to speak or not (the same as the captors).

"We're not telling you twerps anything."-Jessie. Mystery solved, everyone thinks.

"Maybe some electroshock therapy will change your mind," Misty says as she looks at Pikachu. The mouse, however, does not like the tone in her voice or the way she eyes them with scorn. They may be temporary prisoners, but all they want is to protect their secret the same way the others want to know the truth. Pikachu knows Ash wold never approve of purposely hurting anyone, even if it was to help him or someone else. Misty is not like that, either, but she is apparently slipping into more base desires as people do when their emotions are pushed to the brink.

"Pika," he shakes his head, refusing to do them harm.

"What do you mean no? We have to make them tell us where Ash is!"

"Pika-pi pikachu chu pika." Unable to translate the way Ash always could, despite being his trainer for five years now, she only stares at him.

"He said da oder twerp wouldn't want ya to hurt anyone 'cause of him," Meowth translates.

"Then tell us what you know," she takes to sounding more like she is pleading than demanding.

"No chance."

"But Jessie," James starts. He always was the more emotional one of the two and able to show his human side. Though he is loyal to his boss, he also remembers all of the times the man was unfair and mean to them. He even sent them to Unova a while back not because he believed in them but because they would flush the other team out of hiding. He didn't care what happened to them. This was, of course, before they were competent agents. He has to come to see them as a little more valuable since then, but he still often treats them like dirt. Loyalty does not always win out, especially in the face of such grave wrongdoings and when they have barely been shown the same loyalty from the man. "If someone could tell you where your mother is, wouldn't you want them to?"  
"No. She dumped me and ran off chasing a dream. I don't need her, even if she was still alive."

"Fine. But you aren't the only one who can talk."

"James, don't you dare," she warns.

"The boss is wrong, Jessie. Don't you see that?" Able to turn her head, she stares at the man, who only shows determination in his eyes. She hadn't stopped to think about that yet, but he's right. Taking someone against their free will and changing them is wrong. Her mom left to chase Mew for her boss and never came back, but that was her decision. Ash had no say that afternoon five and half years ago. The same thoughts about loyalty that James just had come to her mind as well. She doesn't protest anymore. "We don't know much, but the boss adopted a son and has been preparing him to take over Team Rocket. He always kept him pretty hidden from us and made him change completely when he was traveling the other regions."

"So he's been allowed to train and travel?" Tracey asks.

"Yes. The closest Jessie, Meowth, and I ever got to him was today on the plane, but we've seen him around the base a lot."

"We never thought about da twerp 'cause he disappeared so long ago, but we knew somethin' was up."

"So Giovanni got careless," Gary says.

"Actually, he snuck on board. We weren't supposed to see him."-James

"You're telling us that Ash is alive and has been living with Team Rocket as someone else? What did Giovanni do, brainwash him?"-Gary. They don't answer, and the group knows instantly that is the truth.

Suddenly, a ringing interrupts the silence. The Rockets recognize it as the communication device the boss game them. Gary knows they have to answer it so that whoever is calling them will not become suspicious so he commands Umbreon to release them. As soon as they are freed, Jessie goes to answer the call some teen feet away from them.

The gang looks between each other and tries to comprehend what they have just found out. Tracey even wonders if the professor's disappearance is now connected to this gang of Pokemon thieves and the missing son of his former student.

"What are we going to do?" Gary breaks the silence but quietly so as not to be heard on the other end of the Rocket call.

"We rescue Ash."-Misty

* * *

And so the plot thickens...

It was weird trying to name Gio's mom because she was never mentioned in any English version and was only referred to as Madame Boss in the radio drama and related media. I picked Minerva finally because of my love for Classical Mythology but also because she was the goddess of intellect and war. I know the radio drama portrayed her as just wanting to make money, but she was very good at doing that so I would have to bet she was pretty smart and would use any tactic she deemed necessary. I think Gio went more into the army/conquering the world through force than she did, but not all parts of war are battle. So there's that.

Please stay tuned for the next chapter, and review if you happen to feel like it. Thanks in advance (or not but either way I'll still update).


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